it self commands us to hear did alter it from that seventh day to this first day of the Week whereon we keep the Sabbath For the holy Evangelist notes that our Lord came into the midst of the holy Assembly on the two first days of the two Weeks immediately following his Resurrection and then blessed the Church breathed on the Apostles the Holy Ghost and gave them the ministerial keys and power of binding and remitting sins And so it is most probable he did in a solemn manner every first-first-day of the week during the forty days he continued on earth between his Resurrection and Ascension for the fiftieth day after being the first day of the week the Apostles were assembled during which time he gave Commandments unto the Apostles and spake unto them those things which appertain to the Kingdom of God that is instructed them how they should throughout the Churches which were to be converted change the Sabbath to the lord's-Lord's-Day the bodily sacrifices of beasts to the spiritual sacrifices of Praise Prayer and contrite Hearts the Levitical Priesthood of the Law to the Christian Ministery of the Gospel the Jewish Temples and Synagogues to Churches and Oratories the Old Sacraments of Circumcision and Passover to Baptism and the Lord's Supper c. as may appear by the like Phrase Acts 19. 8. and Acts 28. 23. Col. 4. 11. put for the whole sum of Paul's Doctrine by which were wrought all these changes where it took effect So that as Christ was forty days instructing Moses in Sinai what he should teach and how he should rule the Church under the Law so he continued forty days teaching his Disciples in Sion what they should preach and how they should govern the Church under the Gospel And seeing it is manifest that within those forty days Christ appointed what Ministers should teach and how they should govern his Church to the world's end it is not to be doubted but that within those forty days he likewise ordained on what day they should keep their Sabbath and ordinarily to the works of their Ministery especially seeing that under the Old Testament God shewed himself as careful both by his Moral and Ceremonial Law to prescribe the time as well as the matter of his Worship Neither is it a thing to be omitted that the Lord who hath times and seasons in his own power appointed this first day of the week to be the very day wherein he sent down from Heaven the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles so that upon that day they first began and ever after continued the publick exercising of their Ministery in the preaching of the Word the administration of the Sacraments and the loosing of the sins of penitent sinners Upon these and the like grounds Athanasius plainly affirmeth that the Sabbath day was changed by the Lord himself As therefore our Communion is termed the Lord's Supper because it was instituted of the Lord for the remembrance of his death so the Christian Sabbath is called of the Lord's day because it was ordained of the Lord for the memorial of his Resurrection And as the Name of the Lord honoureth the one so doth it the other and as the Lord of the Sabbath by his royal Prerogative and transcendent authority could so he had also reason to change the Holy Sabbath from the seventh day to this whereon we keep it For as concerning the seventh day which followed the six days wherein God finished the Creation there was no such precise institution or necessity of sanctifying it perpetually but such as by the same authority or upon greater reason and occasion it might very well be changed and altered unto some other seventh day For the Commandment doth not say Remember to keep hnly the seventh day next following the sixth day of the Creation or this or that seventh day but indefinitely Remember that thou keep holy a seventh day And to speak properly as we take a day for the distinction of time called either a day natural consisting of 24 hours or a day artificial consisting of 12 hours from Sun-rising to Sun-setting and withal consider the Sun standing still at noon in Joshuah's time the space of a whole day and the Sun going back ten degrees viz. five hours almost half an artificial day in Ezekiah's time the Jews themselves could not keep their Sabbath upon that precise and just distinction of time called at the first the seventh day from the Creation Add hereunto that in respect of the diversity of Meridians and the unequal rising and setting of the Sun every day varieth in some places a quarter in some half in others a whole day Therefore the Jewish seventh day cannot precisely be kept at the same instant of time every where in the World Now our Lord Jesus having authority as Lord over the Sabbath had likewise now far greater reason and occasion to translate the Sabbath from the Jewish seventh day unto the seventh day whereon Christians do keep the Sabbath 1. Because that by his Resurrection from the dead there is wrought a new spiritual Creation of the World without which all the Sons of Adam had been turned to everlasting destruction and all the works of the first creation had ministred no consolation unto us 2. And in respect of this new spiritual Creation the Scripture saith that Old things are passed away and all things are become new new Creatures new People new men new knowledge new Testament new commandment new names new way new song new garment new wine new vessels new Jerusalem new Heaven and a new earth And therefore of necessity there must be instead of the old a new Sabbath day to honour and praise our Redeemer and to meditate upon the work of our redemption and to shew the new change of the old Testament 3. Because that on this day Christ rested from all the sufferings of his Passion and finished the glorious work of our Redemption If therefore the finishing of the work of the first Creation whereby God mightily manifested himself unto his creatures deserved a Sabbath for to solemnize the memorial of so great a work to the honour of the worker and therefore calls it mine holy-day much more doth the new Creatition of the world effected by the resurrection of Christ whereby he mightly declared himself to be the Son of God deserve a Sabbath for the perpetual commemoration thereof to the honour of Christ and therefore worthily called the Lord's day For as the deliverance out of the Captivity of Babylon being greater took away the name from the deliverance out of the Bondage of Egypt so the day whereon Christ finished the redemption of the world did more justly deserve to have the Sabbath kept on it than on that day whereon God ceased from creating the world As therefore in
the Creation the first day wherein it was finished was consecrated for a Sabbath so in the time of Redemption the first day wherein it was perfected must be dedicated to a holy rest but still a seventh day kept according to God's moral Commandment The Jews kept the last day of the week beginning their Sabbath with the night when God rested but Christians honour the Lord better on the first day of the week beginning the Sabbath with the day when the Lord arose They kept their Sabbath in remembrance of the World's Creation but Christians celebrate it in memorial of the World's Redemption yea the Lord's-day being the first of the Creation and Redemption puts us in mind both of the making of the old and redeeming of the new World As therefore under the old Testament God by the glory consisting of seven Lamps seven Branches c. put them in remembrance of the Creation Light and Sabbath's â—est So under the New Testament Christ the true light of the world appeareth in the midst of the 7 lampâ— and seven golden candle-sticks to put us in minâ— to honour our Redeemer in in the light of the Gospel of the Lord's seventh day of rest And seeing the Redemption both for might and mercy so fâ—r exceedeth the Câ—cation it stood with great reason thee the greater work should carry the honour of the day Neither doth he honourable title of the Lord's-day diminish the glory of the Sabbath but rather being added augments the dignity thereof as the name of Israel added unto Jacob made the Patriarch the more renowned The reason taken from the example of God's resting from the work of the Creation of the World continued in force till the Son of God ceased from the work of the Redemption of the World and then the former gave place to the latter 4. Because it was foretold in the Old Testament that the Sabbath should be kept under the New Testament on the first-day of the week For first in the 110 Psalm which is a Prophecy of Christ and his Kingdom it is plainly foretold that there should be a solemn day of assembling wherein all Christ's people should willingly come together in the beauty of holiness Insomuch that no rain of peace shall be upon those Families that in the feast will not go up to Jerusalem the Church to worship the King the Lord of hosts Now on what day this holy Feast and Assembly should be kept David sheweth plainly in Psal. 118 which was a prophecy of Christ as appears Mat. 21. 42 Acts 4. 11. Ephes. 2. 20. as also by the consent of all the Jews as Jerom witnesseth For shewing how Christ by his ignominious death should be as a stone rejected of the Builders or chief Rulers of Judea and yet by his glorious Resurrection should become the chief stâ—ne of the Corner he wisheth the whole Church to keep holy that day whereupon Christ should effect this wonderful work saying This is the day which the Lord hath made let us rejoyce and be glad in it And seeing that upon this day that which Peter saith of Christ appeareth to be true That God made him both Lord and Christ Acts 2. 36. therefore the whole Church under the New Testament must celebrate the day of Christ's Resurrection Rabby Bachay also saw by the fall of Adam on the sixth day that on the same day the Messias should finish the work of man's redemption And alluding to the speech of Boaz to Ruth sleep unto the Morning that Messias should rest in his grave all their Sabbath-day And he gathereth from that speech Gen. 1. on the first day Let their be light that the Messias should rise on the first day of the week from death to life and cause the spiritual light of the Gospel to enlighten the World that lay in the shadow of darkness and death The Hebrew Author of the Book called Sedar Olam Rabbi cap. 7. recordeth many memorable things which were done upon the first day of the week as so many Types that the chief worship of God should under the New Testament be celebrated upon this day As that on this day the cloud of God's Majesty first sate upon his people Aaron and his Children first executed their Priesthood God first solemnly blessed his people The Princes of his people first offered publickly unto God The first day wherein fire descended from heaven The first day of the World of the Year of the Month of the week c. All shadowing that it should be the first and chief holy-day of the New Testament St. Augustine proveth by divers places and reasons out of the holy Scripture that the Fathers and all the holy Prophets under the Old Testament did foresee and know that our Lord's-day was shadowed by their eighth day of Circumcision And that the Sabbath should be changed from the seventh day to the eighth or first day of the week And Junius out of Cyprian saith that Circumcision was commanded on the eighth day as a Sacrament of the eighth day when Christ should arise from the dead The Council Foro-Juliense affirms That Esay prophesied of the keeping of the Sabbath upon the first day of the week If this Mystery was so clearly seen by the Fathers under the shadows of the Old Testament sure the God of this World hath deeply blinded their minds who cannot see the Truth thereof under the shining light of the Gospel Therefore this change of the sabbath-Sabbath-day under the New was nothing but a fulfilling of that which was prefigured and fore-prophesied under the Old Testament 5. According to their Lord's Mind and Commandment and the direction of the Holy Ghost which alway assisted them in their Ministerial Office the Apostles in all the Christian Churches which they planted ordained that the Christians should keep the holy Sabbath upon that seventh Day which is the first Day of the week Concerning the gathering for the Saints as I have ordained in the Churches of Galatia so do ye also Every first-first-day of the week c. When ye come together in the Church being the Lord's-day to eat the Lord's-Supper to remember and shew the Lord's death till he come c. In which words note 1. That the Apostle ordained this Day to be kept holy therefore a divine Institution 2. That the Day is named the first-first-day of the week therefore not the Jewish seventh or any other 3. Every first-first-day of the week which sheweth a perpetuity 4. That it was ordained in the Churches of Galatia as well as of Corinth and he settled one uniform order in all the Churches of the Saints therefore it was universal 5. That the exercises of this day were Collections for the poor which appears by Acts 2. 42. and Justin Martyr's testimony Apolog. 2. which were gathered in the holy Assembly after Prayer preaching of the Word and Administration of the Sacraments therefore it
was spiritual 6. That he will have the Collection tho' necessity removed against his coming lest it should hinder his preaching but not their holy meeting on the Lord's-day for it was the time ordained for the publick worship of the Lord which argueth a necessity And in the same Epistle St. Paul protesteth that he dâ—livered them none other Ordinance or Doctrine but what he had received of the Lord. Insomuch that he chaâ—geth them that if any man think himself to be a prophet or Spiritual let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But he wrote unto them and ordained among them to keep their Sabbath on the first day of the Week therefore to keep the Sabbath on that day is the very commandment of the Lord. And how can he be either a true Prophet or have any grace of God's Spirit in his heart who seeing so clearly the Lord's day to have been iâ—â—â—â—tuted and ordained by the Apostles will not acknowledge the keeping holy of the Lord's day to be a Commendment of the Lord The Jews confess this change of the Sabbath to have been made by the Apostles Peter Alphon. in Dialog contra Judaeâ—s tit 12. They are therefore more blind and sottish than the Jews who prophanely deny it Aâ— Troas likewise St. Paul together with seven of the Chief Evangellâ—â—s of the Church Sosipater Aristarchus Secundus Gaius Timotheus Tychicus and Trophimus and all the Christians that were there kept the holy Sabbath on the first day of the week in praying preaching and receiving the Lord's-Supper And it is a thing to be noted That Luke saith not that the Disciples were sent to hear Paul preach but the Disciples being come together to break bread upon the first day of the week that is to be partakers of the holy Communion at what time the Lord's death was by the preaching of the Word shewed 1 Cor. 11. 26. Paul preached unto them c. And that none kept those meetings but Christians who only are called Disciples Act. 11. 26. But at Philippi whereas yet there were no Disciples Paul is said to go on their Sabbath day to the place where the Jews and their Proselytes were wont to pray and there preached unto them Acts 16. 12 13. so that it is as clear as the Sun that it was the Christians usual manner to pass over the Jewish seventh day and to keep the Sabbath and their holy meetings on the first day of the week And why doth S. John call this the Lord's day but because it was a day known to be generally kept holy to the honour of the Lord Jesus who rose from death to life upon that day throughout all the Churches which the Apostles planted Which S. John called the Lord's day the rather to stir up Christians to a thankful remembrance of their Redemption by Christ his Resurrection from the dead And with the day the blessing of the Sabbath is likewise translated to the Lord's day because that all the sanctification belonging to this new world is in Christ and from him conveyed to Christians And because there cannot come a greater authority than that of Christ and his Apostles nor the like cause as the new Creation of the world therefore the Sabbath can never be altered from this day to any other whilst this world lasteth Add hereunto how the Scripture noteth that in the first planting and setling of the Church nothing was done but by the special order and direction of the Apostles 1 Cor. 11. 34. 1 Cor. 14. 36 37. Tit. 1. 5. Act. 15. 6 24. and the Apostles did nothing but what they had warrant for from Christ 1 Cor. 11. 23. To sanctifie then the Sabbath on the seventh Day is not a ceremonial Law abrogated but the moral and perpetual law of God perfected So that the same perpetual Commandment which bound the Jews to keep the Sabbath on that seventh day to celebrate the World's Creation binds Christians to solemnize the Subbath on this seventh day in memorial of the World's Redemption for the fourth Commandment being a Moral Law requireth a seventh day to be kept holy for ever And the Morality of this as of the rest of the Commandments is more religiously to be kept of us under the Gospel than of the Jews under the Law by how much we in Baptism have made a more special Covenant with God to keep his Commandments and God hath covenanted with us to free us from the curse and to assist us with his Spirit to keep his Laws And that this Commandment of the Sabbath as well as the other nine is Moral and perpetual may plainly appear by these reasons Ten reasons demonstrating the Commandment of the Sabbath to be Moral 1. BEcause all the reasons of this Commandment are moral and perpetual And God hath bound us to the obedience of this Commandment with more forcible reasons than to any of the rest First because he did foresee that irreligious men would either more carelesly neglect or more boldly break this Commandment than any other Secondly because that in the practice of this Commandment the keeping of all the other consisteth which makes God so often complain that all his worship is neglected or overthrown when the Sabbath is either neglected or transgressed It would make a man amazed saith Mr. Calvin to consider how oft and with what zeal and protestation God requireth all that will be his people to sanctifie the seventh day yea how the God of Mercy mercilesly punisheth the breach of this Commandment with cruel death as though it were the sum of his whole honour and service And it is certain that he who makes no conscience to break the Sabbath will not to serve his turn make any Conscience to break any of the other Commandments so he may do it without discredit of his reputation or danger of Man's Law Therefore God placed this Commandment in the midst of the Two Tables because the keeping of it is the best help to the keeping of all the rest The conscionable keeping of the Sabbath is the Mother of all religion and good discipline in the Church Take away the Sabbath and let every man serve God when he listeth and what will shortly become of Religion and that peace and order which God will have to be kept in his Church the Sabbath day is God's market-Market-day for the weeks provision wherein He will have us to come unto him and buy of him without silver or money the Bread of Angels and Water of Life the Wine of the Sacrament and Milk of the Word to feed our souls tryed gold to enrich our faith precious Eâ—e-salve â—o heal our spiritual blindness and the white raiment of Christ's righteousness to cover our silchy nakedness He is not far from true Piety who makes conscience to keep the Sabbath day but he who can disâ—ence with his conscience to break
the Sabbath for his own profit or pleasure his heart never yet felt what either the fear of God or true 〈…〉 For of this 〈…〉 speech of S. James 〈…〉 faileth in one is guilty of all seeing therefore that God hath fenced this commandment with so many moral reasons it is evident that the Commandment it self is moral 2. Because it was commanded of God to Adam in his Innocency whilst holding his happiness not by faith in Christ's merits but by obedience to God's Law he needed no ceremony shadowing the redemption of Christ. A Sabbath therefore of a seventh day cannot be simply a ceremony but an Essential part of God's worship enjoyned unto Man when there was but one condition of all men And if it was necessary for our first Parents to have a Sabbath day to serve God in their perfection much more need their posterity to keep the Sabbath in the stare of their corruption And seeing God himself kept this day holy how can that man be holy that doth wilfully prophane it 3. Because it is one of the Commandments which God spake with his own mouth and twice wrote with his own fingers in Tables of stone to signifie their authority and perpetuity All that God wrote were moral and perpetual Commandments and those are reckoned Ten in number If this were now but an abrogated Ceremony then there were but nine Commandments the Ceremonial that were to be abrogated by Christ were written all by Moses But this of the Sabbath with the other nine written by God himself were put into the Ark where no Ceremonial Law was put to shew that they should be the perpetual Rules of the Church yet such as none could perfectly fulfil and keep but only Christ. 4. Because Christ professeth that he came not to destroy the moral Law and that the least of them should not be abrogated in his kingdom of the New Testament Insomuch that whosoever breaketh one of the least of these ten Commandments and teacheth men so he should be called the least in the Kingdom of heaven that is he should have no place in his Church Now the Moral Law commandeth one day of seven to be perpetually kept a holy Sabbath And Christ himself expresly mentioneth the keeping of a Sabbath among his Christians at the destruction of Jerusalem about 42. years after his resurrection By which time all the Mosaical ceremonies except eating of blood and things strangled were by a publick Decree of all the Apostles quite abolished and abrogated in Christian Churches And therefore Christ admonished his Disciples to pray that their flight be not in the winter nor on the Sabbath day Not in the winter for that by reason of the foulness of the ways and weather their flight should be more painful and troublsome unto them not upon the Sabbath because it would be more grievous to their hearts to spend that day in toiling to save their lives which the Lord had commanded to be spent in holy exercises to comfort their souls Now if the sanctifying of the Sabbath on this day had been but ceremonial it had been no grief to have fled on this day any more than on any other day of the week But in that Christ doth tender so much this fear and grief of being driven to fly on the Sabbath day and therefore wisheth his to pray unto God to prevent such an occasion he plainly demonstrates that the observation of the Sabbath is no abrogated Ceremony but a Moral Commandment confirmed and established by Christ among Christians If you would know the day whereupon Christ appointed Christians to keep the Sabbath S. John will tell you that is was on the Lord's day Rev. 1. 10. If you will know on what day of the week that was S. Paul will tell you that it was on every first day of the week 1 Cor. 16. 1. As Christ admonished so Christians prayed and according to their prayers God a little before the wars began warned by an Oracle all the Christians in Jerusalem to depart thence and to go to Pella a little town beyond Jordan and so to escape the wrath of God that should fell upon that City and Nation If then a Christian should not without grief of heart fly for the safety of his life on the Lord's day with what joy or comfort can a true Christian neglect the holy exercises of God's worship in the Church to spend the greatest part of the Lord's day in prophane and carnal spâ—rts or servile labour And seeing the destruction of Jerusalem was hath a 〈◊〉 and an assurance of the destruction of the World who seeth not but that the holy Sabbath must continue till the very end of the world 5. Because that all the Ceremonial Law was enjoyned to the Jews only and not to the Gentiles but this Commandment of the holy Sabbath as Matrimoâ—y was instituted of God in the stare of innocency when there was but one state of all men and therefore enjoyned to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews So that all Magistrates and Housholders were commanded to constrain all strangers as well as their own Subjects and Family to observe the holy Sabbath as appears by the fourth Commandment and practice of Nehemiah All the Ceremonies were a partition wall to separate Jews and Gentiles But seeing the Gentiles are bound to keep this Commandment as well as the Jews it is evident that it is no Jewish ceremony And seeing the same authority is for the Sabbath that is for marriage a man may as well say that marriage is but a ceremonial Law as the Sabbath And remember that whereas marriage is termed but once the covenâ—â—â— of God because instituted by God in the beginning the Sabbath is every where called the Sabbath of the Lord thy God because ordained by God in the same beginning both of time state and perpetuity therefore not Ceremonial 6. The corruption of our nature found in the manifest opposition of wicked men and in the secret unwillingness of good men to sanctifie sincerely the Sabbath sufficiently demonstrateth that the Commandment of the Sabbath is spiritual and moral 7. Because that as God by a perpetual decree made the Sun the Moon and other lights in the Firmament of Heaven not only to divided the day from the night but also to be for signs and for seasons and for days and for years so he ordained in the Church on Earth the holy Sabbath to be not only the appointed season for his solemn Worship but also the perpetual rule and measure of time So that as seven days make a week four weeks a month 12 months a year so seven years make a Sabbath of years seven Sabbaths of years a Jubilee 80 Jubilees or 4000 years or after Ezekiel 4000 cubits the whole time of the Old Testament till Christ by his Baptism and Preaching began the
by a certain chain of God's providence disposing all things in number measure and weight All times are therefore measured by the Sabbath so that Time and the Sabbath can never be separated And the Angel swears that this measuring of time shall continue till that time shall be no more And as the Sabbath had its first institution in the first Book of the Scriptures so hath it its confirmation in the last and as this Book doth authorize this day so this day graceth the Book in that the matter thereof was revealed upon so holy a day the Lord's revelation upon the Lord's Day As well therefore may they pull the Sun Moon and Stars out of the Heavens as abolish the Holy Sabbath times meet-rod out of the Chruch seeing the Sabbath is ordained in the Church as well as the Sun and Moon in the Firmament for the distinction of times 8. Because that the whole Church by an Universal consent ever since the Apostles time have still held the Commandment of the Sabbath to be the moral and perpetual Law of God and the keeping of the Sabbath on the first day of the week to be the institution of Christ and his Apostles The Synod called Synodus Coloniensis saith that the lord's-Lord's-day hath been famous in the Church ever since the Apostles time Ignatius Bishop of Antioch living in St. John's time saith Let every one that loveth Christ keep holy the Lord's-day renowned by his Resurrection which is the Queen of days in which death is overcome and life is sprung up in Christ. Justin Martyr who lived not long after him sheweth how the Christians kept their Sabbath on the lord's-Lord's-day as we do Origen who lived about 1â—0 years after Christ shews the reason why the Sabbath is translated to the lord's-Lord's-day Augustin saith That the lord's-Lord's-day was declared unto the Church by the Resurrection of the Lord upon that day Et ex illo eâ—â—pit habere festivitatem suam and by Christ it was first ordained to be kept holy And in another place That the Apostles appointed the Lord's-day to be kept with all religious solemnity because that upon that day our Redeemer rose from the dead which also is therefore called the Lord's-day As therefore David said of the City of God so may I say of the Lord's-day Glorious things are spoken of the day of the Lord for it was the birth-day of the World the first day wherein all Creatures began to have being In it light was drawn out of darkness In it the Law was given on Mount Sinai In it the Lord rose from death to life In it the Saints came out of their graves assuring that on it Christians should rise to newness of life In it the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles And it is very probable that on the seventh day when the seven Trumpets have blown the cursed Jerichâ— of this World shall fall and our true Jesus shall give us the promised possession of the heavenly Canaan â—e that would see the uniform consent of Antiquiry and practice of the Primitive Church in this point let him read Eusebius ' s Ecclesiastical History Lib. 4 c 23 Tertullian lib. de Idololatâ—â—a cap. 14. Chrâ—s Serm. 5. de resurrection Constitut. Apal l. cap. 37. Câ—â—il in Jâ—ham l. 12. c. â—8 Of this Juâ—gment are all the found new Writers see â—ox on Rev. 1. 10. Bucer in Mat. 12. 1â— Gualt in Malach. 3. hâ—m 23. â—ulk on the Râ—emish Testam Apoc. 1. 10. Chem. Exaâ—â— Conc. Tâ—â—d par 4. de diebus festis Wolph Chron. lib. 2. cap. 1. Armin Thes in 4 praecept and innumerable others Learned Junius shall speak for all Quaâ—â—brem câ—â—m dies â—â—minicus c. Wherefore seeing the Lord's day is both the fast of Christ viz. his resurrection and often appearing to his Disciples upon that day by the example and institution of the Apostles and by the continual practice of the ancient Church and by the testimony of the Scripture observed and substituted into the place of the Jewish Sabbath Ineptè faciunt they do foolishly who say that the observation of the Lord's day is of Tradition and not from the Scripture that by this means they might establish the Traditions of Men. And again the cause of this change is the resurrection of Christ and the benefit of the restoring of the Church by Christ the remembrance of which benefit did succeed into the place of the memory of the creation Non humanâ traditione sed Christi ipsius observatione instituto Not by the tradition of Man but by the observation and appointment of Christ who both on the day of his resurrection and on every 8th day after unto his ascension into heaven did appear unto his Disciples and came into their assemblies 9. Because that the Lord himself expoundeth the end of the Sabbath to be a sign and document for ever betwixt him and his people that he is Jehovah by whom they are sanctified and therefore must only of them be worshiped and upon the pain of death chargeth his people for ever to keep this memorial unviolated But this end is moral and perpetual Therefore the Sabbath is moral and perpetual What God hath perpetually sanctified let no man ever presume to make common or prophane Upon this ground it is that the Commandment terms this day the Sabbath of the Lord thy God And God himself calls it his holy day And upon the same ground likewise the Old Testament consecrated all their Sabbaths and holy days to the worship and honour of God alone To dedicate therefore a Sabbath to the honour of any creature is gross Idolatry For the first Table makes it a part of God's Worship to have a Sabbath to his honour so doth Levit. 23. 3 37 38 c. and Ezek. 20. 20. Neh 9. 14. the Sabbath is put for the whole worship of God And our Saviour teacheth that We must Worship the Lord God only Mat. 4. 10. and therefore keep a Sabbath to the only honour of God The Holy Ghost notes it as one of Jeroboam's greatest sins that he ordained a Feast from the device of his own heart 1 Kings 12. 33. And God threatneth to visit Israel for keeping the days of Baalim That is of Lords as Papists do of Saints Hos. 2. 13. but saith that such forget him And so indeed none are less careful in keeping the Lord's Sabbath than they who are most superstitious observers of mens holy days The Church of Rome therefore commits gross Idolatry First in taking upon her to ordain Sabbaths which belongs only unto the Lord of the Sabbath to do Secondly in dedicating those holy days to the honour of Creatures which in effect is to make them sanctifying Gods Thirdly In tying to these days God's Worship Prayers Fasting and Merit Fourthly In exacting on these days of mens
all talking about worldly things which hindereth the sanctifying of the Sabbath more than working seeing one may work alone but cannot talk but with others He that keeps the Sabbath only by resting from his ordinary work keeps it but as a Beast But rest on this day is so far commanded to Christians as it is an help to sanctification and labour so far forbidden as it is an impediment to the outward and inward worship of God If then those recreation's which are lawful at other times are on the Sabbath not allowed much more those that are altogether at all times unlawful Who without mourning can endure to see Christians keep the Lord's day as if they celebrated â— feast rather to Bacchus than to the honour of the Lord Jesus the Saviour and Redeemer of the world for having served God but an hour in outward shew they spend the rest of the Lord's day in sitting down to eat and drink and rising up to play First balasting their bellies with eaâ—ing and drinking and then feeding their lusts with playing and dancing Against which prophanations all holy Divines both old and new have in their times most bitterly inveighed Insomuch that Augustine affirmeth that it was better to plough than to dance on the Sabbath day Now in the Name of Almighty God who rested having created Heaven and Earth and of his eternal Son Jesus the Redeemer of his Church who shall shortly come on the dreadful day of Dâ—om to judge all men according to the obedience which they have shewed to his commandments I require thee who readest these words as thou wilt answer before the face of Christ and all his holy Angels at that day that thou better weigh and consider whether Dancing Stage-playing Masking Carding Diceing Tabling Chess-playing Bowling Shooting Bear-baiting Carousing Tipling and such other fooleries of Robbin Hood Morice-dances Wakes and Maâ—-games be Exercises that God will bless and allow on the Sabbath day And seeing that no action ought to be done that day but such as whereby we either bless God or look to receive a blessing from God how darest thou do those things on that blessed day on which thou darest not to pray to God to bestow a blessing on it to thy use Hear this and tremble at this O prophane youth of a prophane age O heart all frozen and void of the feeling of the grace of God! that having every day in six every hour in every day every minute in every hour so tasted the sweet mercy of thy God in Christ without which thou hadst perished every moment Yet canst not find in thy corrupt and irreligious heart to spend in thy Masters service that one day of the week which he hath reserved for his own praise and worship Let men in defence of their prophaneness object what they will and answer what the Devil puts in their mouths yet I would wish them to remember that seeing it is an ancient Tradition in the Church that the Lord's second coming shall be upon the Lord's day how little joy they should have to be overtaken in those carnal sports to please themselves when their Masters should find them in spiritual Exercises serving him The prophane Wretch would then wish rather to be taken kneeling at prayers in the Church than skipping like a Goat in a dance If this cannot move yet I would wish our impare gallants to remember that whilst they thus dance on the Lord's day contrary to the Lord's Commandment they do but dance about the pits brink and they know not which of them shall first fall therein Where to being once fallen without repentance no greatness can exempt them from the vengeance of that great God whose Commandment contrary to their knowledge and conscience they do thus presumptuously transgress If then God's Commandment cannot deterr thee nor God's Word advise thee I say no more but what St. John said before me He which is filthy let him be filthy still For the second 2. The consecration of the Sabbath's rest consists in performing three sorts of duties First before Secondly at Thirdly after the publick exercises of the Church The Duties to be performed before the publick exercises are 1. To give over working betimes on the Eve that thy body may be the more refreshed and thy mind the better â—itted to sanctifie the Sabbath on the next day For want of this preparation thy self and thy servants being tyred with labour and watching the night before are so heavy that when you should be serving God and hearing what his Spirit saith unto the Church for your Soul's instruction you cannot hold up your heads for sleeping to the dishonour of God the offence of the Church and the shame of your selves Therefore the Lord commands us not only to keep holy but also to remember afore-hand the Sabbath day to keep it holy by preparing our hearts and removing all business that might hinder us to consecrate it as a glorious day unto the Lord. Therefore whereas the Lord in the other Commandments doth but either bid or forbid he doth both in this Commandment and that with a special memorandum As if a Master should charge his servant to look well unto ten things of great trust but to have a more special care to remember one of those Ten for divers weighty reasons should not a faithful Servanâ— that loves his Master shew a more special care unto that thing above all other businesses Thus Moses taught the People o'er night to remember the Sabbath and it was a Holy custom among our forefathers when at the ringing to Prayer on the Eve before the Husbandman would give over his labour in the field and the Tâ—adesman his work in the Shop and go to Evening Prayer in the Church to prepare their souls that their minds might more chearfully attend God's worship on the Sabbath day 2. To possess that night thy vessel in holiness and honour that thou maist present thy soul more purely in the sight of God the next morning 3. To rise up early in the morning on the Sabbath day Be careful therefore to rise sooner on this day than on other days by how much the service of God is to be preferred before all earthly businesses For there is no Master to serve so good as God and in the end no work shall be better rewarded than his service 4. When thou art up consider with thy self what an impure sinner thou art and into what an holy place thou goest to appear before the most holy God who seeth thy heart and hateth all impurity and hypocrisie Examine thy self therefore before thou goest to church what grievous sins thou hast committed the week past confess them unto God and earnestly pray for the pardon and forgiveness of them and so reconcile thy self with God in Christ. Renew thy vows to walk more conscionably and pray for an increase of those graces which
which is to come And for as much as thou hast created us to serve thee as all other Creatures to serve us so we beseech thee inspire thy holy Spirit into our hearts that by his illumination and effectual working we may have the inward sight and feeling of our sins and natural corruptions and that we may not be blinded in them through custom as the Reprobates are but that we may more and more loath them and be heartily grieved for them endeavouring by the use of all good means to overcome and get out of them O let us feel the Power of Christ's Death killing sin in our mortal Bodies and the vertue of his Resurrection raising up our Souls to newness of life Convert our hearts subdue our affections regenerate our minds and purifie our nature and suffer us not to be drowned in the stream of those filthy vices and sinful pleasures of thâ—s time where with thousands are carried headlong to eternal destruction but daily frame us more and more to the likeness of thy Son Jesus Christ that in righteousness and true holiness we may so serve and glorifie thee that living in thy fear and dying in thy favour we may in thine appointed time attain to the blessed resurrection of the just unto eternal life In the mean while O Lord increase our faith in the sweet promises of the Gospel and our repentance from dead works the assurance of our hope in thy promises our fear of thy name the hatred of all our sins and our love unto thy children especially those whom we shall see to stand in need of our help and comfort that so by the fruits of Piety and a righteous life we may be assured that thy Holy Spirit doth dwell in us and that we are thy Children by Grace and Adoption And grant us good Father the continuance of health peace maintenance and all other outward things so far forth as thy Divine Wisdom shall think meet and necessary for every one of us And here O Lord according to our bounden duty we confess that thou hast been exceeding merciful unto us all in things of this life but infinitely more merciful in the things of a better life and therefore we do here from our very souls render unto thee all humble and hearty thanks for all thy blessings and benefits bestowed upon our souls and bodies acknowledging thee to be that Father of lights from whom we have received all those good and perfect gifts and unto thee alone for them we ascribe to be due all glory honour and praise both now and evermore But more especially we praise thy divine Majesty for that thou hast defended us this day from all perils and dangersâ— so that none of those judgments which our sins have deserved have fall'n upon any one of us Good Lord forgive us the sins which this day we have committed against thy Divine Majesty and our brethren for Christ his sake be reconciled unto us for them And we beseech thee likewise of the same thine infinite goodness and mercy to defend and protect us and all that belong unto us this night from all dangers of fire robberry terrours of evil angels or any other fear or peril which for our sins might justly fall upon us And that we may be safe under the shadow of thy wings we here commend our Bodies and Souls and all that we have unto thine Almighty protection Lord bless and defend both us and them from all evil And whilst we sleep do thou O Father who never slumberest nor sleepest watch over thy Children and give a charge to thy Holy Angels to pitch their tents round about our House and Dwelling to gâ—ard us from all dangers that sleeping wiâ—h thee we may in the next morning be awakened by thee and so being reâ—reshed with moderate sleep we may be the fitter to set forth thy glory in the conscionable duties of our callings And we beseech thee O Lord to be merciful likewise to thy whole Church and to continue the tranquility of these Kingdoms wherein we live turning from us those plagues which the crying sins of this Nation do cry for Preserve our Religious King Charles Queen Mary the Noble and Hopeful Prince Charles with the rest of the Royal Progeny the religious Lady Elizabeth the King 's only Sister and her Princely Issue all our Magistrates and Ministers all that fear thee and call upon thy Name all our Christian Brethren and Sisters that suffer sickness or any other affliction or misery especially those who any where do suffer persecution for the testimony of thy holy Gospel grant them patience to bear thy cross and deliverance when and which way it shall seem best to thy Divine Wisdom And Lord suffer us never to forget our last end and those reckonings which then we must render unto thee In health and prosperity mâ—ke us mindful of sickness and of the evil day that is behind that these things may not overtake us as a 〈◊〉 but that we may in good measure like wise Virgins be found prepared for the coming of Christ the sweet Bridegroom of our Souls And now O Lord most holy and just we coâ—fess that there is no cause why thou who art so much displeased with sin shouldest hear the prayer of sinners but for his sake only who suffered for sin and sinned not In the only mediation therefore of thine eternal Son Jesus our Lord and Saviour we humbly beg these and all other graces which thou knowest to be needful for us shutting up these our imperfect requests in that most holy Prayer which Christ himself hath taught us to say unto thee Our Father c. Thy grace O Lord Jesus Christ thy love O heavenly Father thy comfort and consolation O holy and blessed Spirit be with us and remain with us this night and for evermore Amen Then saluting one another as becometh Christians who are the Vessels of grace and Temples of the holy Ghost let them in the fear of God depart every one to his rest using some of the former private Meditations for Evening Thus far of the Housholder's publick Practice of Piety with his Family every day Now followeth his Practice of Piety with the Church on the sabbath-Sabbath-day Meditations of the true manner of practising Piety on the sabbath-Sabbath-day ALmighty God will have himself worshipped not only in a private manner by private Persons and Families but also in a more publick sort of all the godly joyned together in a visible Church that by this means he may be known not only to be the God and Lord of every singular Person but also of the Creatures of the whole universal World Quest. But why do not we Christians under the New keep the Sabbath on the same seventh day whereon it was kept under the Old Testament I answer because that our Lord Jesus who is the Lord of the Sabbath and whom the Law
state of the New Testament Neither can I here pass over without Admiration how the Sacrament of Circumcision continued in the Church 39 Jubilees from Abraham to whom it was first given unto the Baptism of Christ in Jordan which was just so many Jubilees after Bucholcer's account as the world had continued before from Adam to the birth of Abraham Moses began his Ministry in the 80 year of his age Christ enters upon his Office in the 80 Jubilee of the World's Age Joseph was thirty years old when he began to rule over Egypt Gen. 41. 46. and the Levites began to serve in the Tabernacle at thirty Years old so Christ likewise to answer these figures began his ministry in the Thirtieth Jubilee of Moses and when he began to be thirty years of age Luke 3. 23. in the midst of Daniel's last week and so continuing his ministry on Earth Three years and a half finished our Redemption and Daniel's Period by his innocent death upon the Cross. The most of all the great alterations and strange accidents which fell out in the Church came to pass either in a Sabbatical year or in a year of Jubilee For example The seventy weeks of Daniel beginning the first year of Cyrus and the 3439. year of the world contain so many years as the world did weeks of years unto that time and so many weeks of years as the world had lasted Jubilees Daniel's seventy weeks of years contain four hundred and ninety single years the world before that time 490 weeks or sabbaths of years Daniel's Period 70 weeks the world's 70 Jubilees so that to comfort the Church for their 70 years captivity which they had now according to Jeremy's prophecy endured in Babylon Gabriel tells Daniel That at the end of 70 weeks or Sabbaths of years that is 70 times seven years or 490 years their eternal Redemption from Hell should be effected by the death of Christ as sure as they were now redeemed from the captivity of Babylon This period of Daniel containing 70 Sabbaths or 10 Jubilees of years began at the first liberty granted the Jews by Cyrus in the first year of his Reign over the Babylonians mentioned Ezra 1. 1. and ends justly at the time that Christ died upon the Cross. From the death of Christ or the last end of Daniel's weeks to the seventy and one year of Christ the world is measured by seven Seals or seven Sabbaths of years making one compleat Jubilee From the end of those seven Seals the World is measured to her end by seven Trumpets each containing 245 years as some conjecture about 440 years hence the truth will appear Enoch the seventh from Alam having lived so many years as there are days in the year 365 was translated of God in a Sabbatical year Moses the seventh from Abraham as another Enoch is buried of God but born in a Sabbatical year of the World 2373 and in the 777 year since the Flood after Broughton's Computation is saved as a new Noah in a reed Ark and lived a builder of the Church so long as Noah was building the Ark â—â—0 years The promise was made to Abraham in a Sabbatical year being the 2223 year of the World The sixth year of Joshua being 2500 years from the Creation of the World wherein the land was possessed and divided among the children of Israel was a Sabbatical year and the 50 Jubilee from the Creation of the World At this year Moses begins his Jubilee by which as with a chain of thirty links he tieth the pâ—rting of Canaan's possession to the Israelites by Joshua to the opening of the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers by Jesus And so carrieth the Church of the Jews by a joyful stream of Jubilees from the Type to the substance from Canaan to Heaven from Jeshua to Jesus for Christ at the end of Mâ—ses's thirty Jubilees and the beginning of the thirtieth year of his age at his Baptism openeth Heaven and gives the clearest Vision of the blessed Trinity that was seen since the world began And by the silver Trumpet of his Gospel proclaims according to the Prophecy of Esay eternal redâ—mption to all that repent and believe in him And the year of our Saviour Christ's birth being the 3948 of the World was at the end of a Sabbatical year and the 564 Septenary of the World Moses maketh the common age of all men to be ten times seven Psal. 90. and every seventh year commonly produceth some notable change or accident in Man's life And no wonder for as Hippocrates affirmeth a Child in his Mother's womb on the seventh day of his conception hath all his members finished and from that day groweth to the perfection of birth which is always either the ninth or seventh month At seven years old the Child casts his teeth and receives new And every seventh year after there is some alteration or change in man's life especially at nine times seven the Clymacterick year which by experience is found to have been fatal to many of those learned men who have been the chiefest Lights of the World And if they escaped that year yet most of them have departed this Life in a septenary year Lamech died in the year of his life 777. Methusalem the longest liver of the Sons of Men died when he began to enter his 900 and 70 year Abraham died when he had lived 25 times seven years Jacob when he had lived 21 times seven years David after he had lived ten times seven years So did Galen so did Petrarch who as Bodin noteth died on the same day of the year that he was born so did the Maiden Queen ELIZABETH of blessed and never-dying Memory who came into this world on the Eve of the Nativity of the blessed Virgin Mary and went out of this world on the Eve of the Annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary Hippocrates died in the 15th septenary Hierom and Isocrates in their 13. Pliny Bartolus and Casar in their 8 septenary And Johannes de temporibus who lived 361 years died in the 53d septenary of his life The like might be observed of innumerable others And indeed the whole life of a man is measured by the Sabbath for how many years soever man liveth here yet his life is but a life of seven days multiplied so that in the number of 7 there is a mystical perfection which our understanding cannot attain unto All which Divine Disposition of admirable things so oft by sevens calls upon us to a continual Meditation of the blessed seventh-day Sabbath in knowing and worshipping God in this life that so from Sabbath to Sabbath we may be translated to the eternal glorious Sabbath of rest and bliss in the life to come By the consideration whereof any man that looketh into the holy History may easily perceive that the whole course of the World is drawn and guided
unto the Sabbath Christ at his Death rested in the Grave all the Jewish Sabbath day and by that rest fulfilled all those Ceremonial Accessaries Now as the ceasing of the Ceremonies annexed to the 1 5 and 6 Commandments and to Marriage did not abolish those Commandments and Marriage nor cause them to cease from being the perpetual Rules of God's worship and man's righteousness no more did the abrogating of the Ceremonies annexed to the Sabbath abolish the morality of the Commandment of the Sabbath so that though the Ceremonies be abolished by the access of the Substance and the Shadow over-shadowed by the Body which is Christ yet the holy rest which was commanded and kept before either the Jews were a people or those Ceremonies annexed to the Sabbath still continueth as God's perpetual Law whereby all the Posterity of Adam are bound to rest from their ordinary business that they may wholly spend every seventh day in the solemn Worship and only Service of GOD their Creator and Redeemer but in the substance of the fourth Commandment there is not found one word of any Ceremony The chief Objections against the Morality of the Sabbath are Three 1. That of Paul to the Galatians Ye observe days and months and times and years c. But there the Apostle condemns not the moral Sabbath which we call the Lord's day and which he himself ordained according to Christ's Commandment in the same Churches of Galatia and Corinth and kept himself in other Churches but he speaks of the Jewish days and times and years and the keeping of the Sabbath on the seventh day from the Creation which he termeth shadows of things to come abolished now by Christ the body and in the Law are called Sabbaths but distinguished from the moral Sabbaths 2. That of Paul to the Colossians Let no man therefore condemn you in meat or drink or in respect of an holy-day or of the new-moon or of the Sabbath-days But here the Apostle meaneth the Jewish ceremonial Sabbaths not the Christians Lord's day as before 3. That of the same Apostle to the Romans This man esteemeth one day above another day and another counteth every day alike c. But S. Paul makes no such account For the question there is not between Jews and Gentiles but between the stronger and weaker Christians The stronger esteemed one day above another as appears in that there was a day both commanded and received in the Church every where known and honoured by the name of the Lord's day And therefore Paul saith here that he that observeth this day observeth it unto the Lord. The observation whereof because of the change of the Jewish seventh day some weak Christians as many now adays thought not so necessary so that if men because the Jewish day is abrogated will not honour and keep holy the Lord's day but count it like other days it is an Argument saith the Apostle of their weakness whose infirmity must be born till they have time to be further instructed and perswaded Other objections are frivolous and not worth the answering The true manner of keeping holy the Lord's Day NOW the sanctifying of the Sabbath consists in two things First In resting from all servile and common business pertaining to our natural life Secondly In consecrating that rest wholly to the Service of God and the use of those holy means which belong to our spiritual life For the first 1. The servile and common works from which we are to cease are generally all civil works from the least to the greatest More particularly First from all the works of our Calling though it were reaping in the time of harvest Secondly from carrying burthens as Carriers do or riding abroad for profit or for pleasure God hath commanded that the beasts should rest on the Sabbath day because all occasions of travelling or labouring with them should be cut off from man God gives them that day a rest and he that without necessity deprives them of their rest on the Lord's day the groans of the poor tyr'd Beasts shall in the day of the Lord rise up in judgment against him Likewise such as spend the greatest part of this day in trimming painting and painpering of themselves like Jezabels doing the devil's work upon God's day Thirdly from keeping of Fairs or Markets which for the most part God punisheth with Pestilence Fire and strange Floods Fourthly from studying any Books of Science but the holy Scriptures and Divinity For our study must be to be ravished in spirit upon the Lord's day In a word thou must on that day cease in thy calling to do thy work that the Lord by his Calling may do his work in thee For whatsoever is gotten by common working on this day shall never be blessed of the Lord but it will prove like Achan's Gold which being got contrary to the Lord's Commandment brought the fire of God's curse upon all the rest which he had lawfully gotten And if Christ scourged them out as thieves who bought and sold in his Temple which was but a Ceremony shortly to be abrogated is it to be thought that he will ever suffer those to escape unpunished who contrary to his Commandment buy and sell on the Sabbath day which is his perpetual Law Christ calleth such sacrilegious Thieves and as well may they steal the Communion Cup from the Lord's Table as steal from God the chiefest part of the Lord's day to consume it in their own lusts Such shall one day find the judgments of God heavier than the opinions of Men. Fifthly from all recreations and sports which at other times are lawful for if lawful works be forbidden on this day much more lawful sports which do more steal away our affections from the contemplation of heavenly things than any bodily work or Labour Neither can there be unto a man that delighteth in the Lord any greater delight or recreation than the sanctifying of the Lord's day For can there be any greater joy for a person condemned than to come to his Prince his house to have his Pardon sealed for one that is deadly sick to come to a Physician that can cure him or for a prodigal child that fed on the husks of swine to be admitted to eat the bread of life at his father's table or for him who fears for sin the tidings of death to come to hear from God the assurance of eternal life If thou wilt allow thy self or thy servant recreation allow it in the six days which are thine not on the Lord's day which is neither thine nor theirs No bodily recreation therefore is to be used on this day but so far as it may help the soul to do more chearfully the service of God Sixthly from gross feeding liberal drinking of Wine or strong Drink which may make us either drowsie or unapt to serve God with our hearts and minds Seventhly From
thou hast and a supply of those which thou wantest But especially pray that thou maist have Grace to hear the word of God read and preached with profit and that thou maist receive the holy Sacrament with comfort if it be Communion day that God by his Holy Spirit would assist the Preacher to speak something that may kill thy sin and comfort thy soul which thou maist do in this or the like sort A morning Prayer for the Sabbath-day O Lord most high O God eternal all whose works are glorious and whose thoughts are very deep there can be no better thing than to praise thy Name and to declare thy loving kindness in the morning on thy holy and blessed Sabbath day For it is thy Will and Commandment that we should sanctiâ—ie this day in thy service and praise and in the thankful remembrance as of the creation of the world by the power of thy Word so of the redemption of Mankind by the death of thy Son Thine O Lord I confess is greatness and power and glory and victory and praise for all that is in heaven and earth is thine Thine is the Kingdom O Lord and thou excellest as head over all Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and strength and in thine hand it is to make great and to give grace unto all Now therefore O my God I praise thy glorious Name that whereas I a wretched sinner having so many ways provoked thy Majesty to anger and displeasure thou notwithstanding of thy favour and goodness passing by my prophaneness and infirmities hast vouchsafed to add this Sabbath again unto the number of my days And vouchsafe O heavenly Father for the merits of Jesus Christ thy Son whose glorious resurrection thy whole Church celebrateth this day to pardon and forgive me all my sins and misdeeds Especially O Lord cleanse my soul from those filthy sins with the blood of thy most pure and undefiled Lamb which taketh away the sins of the world And let thy Holy Spirit more and more subdue my corruptions that I may be renewed after thine own Image to serve thee in newness of life and holiness of conversation And as of thy mercy thou hast brought me to the beginning of this blessed day so I do beseech thee make it a day of Reconciliation betwixt my sinful Soul and thy Divine Majesty Give me grace to make it a day of Repentance unto thee that thy goodness may seal iâ— to be a day of pardon unto me and that I may remember that the keeping holy of this day is a Commandment which thine own finger hath written That on this day I might meditate on thy glorious works of our Creation and Redemption and learn how to know and to keep all the rest of thy holy Laws and Commandments And when anon I shall with the rest of the holy Assembly appear before thy Presence in thy House to offer unto thee our Morning Sacrifice of praise and Prayer and to hear what thy Spirit by the preaching of thy Word shall speak unto thy servant Oh let not my sins stand as a Cloud to stop my Prayers from ascending unto thee or to keep back thy grace from descending by thy Word into my heart I know O Lord and tremble to think that three parts of the good seed falls upon bad ground O let not my heart be like the high-way which through hardness and want of true understanding receives not the seed till the evil one cometh and catcheth it away nor like to the stony ground which heareth with joy for a time but falleth away as soon as persecution ariseth for the Gospel's sake nor like the thorny ground which by the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choaketh the Word which it heareth and makes it altogether unfruitful but thâ—t like unto the good ground I may hear thy Word with an honest and good heart understand it and keep it and bring forth fruit with patience in that measure that thy Wisdom shall think meet for thy glory and mine everlasting comfort Open likewise I beseech thee O Lord the door of utterance unto thy faithful servant whom thou hast sent unto us to open our Eyes that we may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that we may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in Christ. And give me grace to submit my self unto his Ministery as well when he terriâ—ieth me with judgments as when he comforteth me with thy Mercies And that I may have him in singular love for his works sake because he watcheth for my soul as he that must give an account for the same unto his Master And give me grace to behave my self in the holy Congregation with comeliness and reverence as in thy presence and in the sight of thy holy Angels Keep me from drowsiness and sleeping and from all wandring thoughts and worldly imaginations sanctifie my Memory that it may be apt to receive and firm to remember those good and profitable doctrines which shall be taught unto us out of thy Word And that through the assistance of thy holy Spirit I may put the same Lessons in practice for my direction in Prosperity for my consolation in Misery for the amendment of my Life and the glory of thy Name And that this day which godless and prophane Persons spend in their own Lusts and Pleasures I as one of thy obedient Servants may make my chief delight to consecrate to thy glory and honour not doing mine own ways nor seeking mine own will nor speaking a vain word but that ceasing from the works of sin as well as from the works of mine ordinary calling I may through thy blessing feel in my heart the beginning of that eternal Sabbath which in unspeakable joy and glory I shall celebrate with Saints and Angels to thy praise and worship in thy heavenly Kingdom for evermore All which I humbly crave at thy hands in the name and mediation of my Lord Jesus in that form of Prayer which he hath taught me Our Father which art in Heaven c. Having thus in private prepared thine own soul if thou hasâ— the charge of a Family call all thy Houshold together read a Chapter and pray as in the week-days but remember so to dispatch these private preparations and duties as that thou and thy family may be in the Church before the beginning of Prayers Else your private exercises are rather an hindranâ—e than a preparation And as thou and thy Houshold do go in all reverence towards the Church let every one meditate thus with himself Things to be meditated as thou goest to the Church 1. That thou art going to the Court of the Lord and to speak with the great God by prayer and to hear his Majesty speak unto
Physick 375 30. Meditations for one that is recover'd from sickness 386. And a Thanksgiving 390 31. Meditations for the sick taken from the end of God's chastisements 394. 32. Meditations for one that is like to die 396 33. A Prayer to be said of one that is like to die 399 34. Comfortable Meditations against despair 402 35. Directions for those who come to visit the sick 415 36. A Prayer to be said for the sick by those who visit him 418 And choice Scriptures to be read unto him 421 422 37. Consolations against impatiency in sickness ibid. 38. Consolations against the fear of death 425 39. Seven sanctified Thoughts and so many spiritual Sighs fit for a sick Man that is like to die 429 40. Of the comfortable use of true Absolution and receiving of the Lord's Supper to the faithful and penitent before they depart this Life if they may conveniently be had 435 41. The last speech of a godly Man dying 444 42. Meditations of Martyrdom wherein is proved that those who die for Popery cannot be Christ's Martyrs 445 43. A Divine Colloquy betwixt Christ and the Soul concerning the virtue and efficacy of his dolorous Passion 452 44. The Soul's Soliloquy unto Christ her Saviour 461 THE PRACTICE OF PIETY Directing a Christian how to walk that he may please God WHo ever thou art that lookest into this Book never undertake to read it unless thou first resolvest to become from thine heart an unfeigned Practitioner of Piety Yet read it and that speedily lest before thou hast read it over God by some unexpected death cut thee off for thine inveterate Impiety The Practice of Piety consists 1. In knowing 1. The Essence of God that in respect of 1. The diverse manner of being therein which are three Persons 1 The Father 2. The Son 3. Holy Ghost 2. The Attributes thereof which are either Nominal or 1. Absolute 1. Simpleness 2. Infiniteness 2. Relative 1. Life 2. Understanding 3. Will. 4. Power 5. Majesty Real 2. Thy own self in respect of thy state of 1. Corruption 2. Renovation 2. In glorifying God aright 1. By thy life in dedicating thy self devoutly to serve him Ordinarily 1. Privately in thine own Person 2. Publickly 1. With thy Family every day 2. With the Church on the Sabbath day Extraordinarily by Fasting Feasting 2. By thy death in dying 1. In the Lord. 2. For the Lord. Unless that a Man doth truly know God he neither can nor will worship him aright for how can a Man love him whom he knoweth not and who will worship him whose help a Man thinks he needeth not and how shall a Man seek remedy by Grace who never understood his misery by Nature Therefore saith the Apostle He that cometh to God must believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him And for as much as there can be no true Piety without the knowledge of God nor any good practice without the knowledge of a Man 's own self we will therefore lay down the knowledge of God's Majesty and Man's Misery as the first and chiefest grounds of the Practice of Piety A PLAIN DESCRIPTION OF THE Essence and Attributes of GOD out of the Holy Scripture so far forth as every Christian must competently know and necessarily believe that will be saved ALthough no Creature can define what God is because he is incomprehensible and dwelling in inaccessible light yet it hath pleased his Majesty to reveal himself in his Word unto us so far as our weak capacity can best conceive him Thus God is that one spiritual and infinitely perfect Essence whose Being is of himself eternally In the Divine Essence we are to consider two things First the diverse manner of being therein Secondly the Attributes thereof The diverse manner of being therein are called Persons A person is a distinct subsistence of the whole God-head There are three Divine Persons the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost these Three Persons are not Three several Substances bâ—t Three distinct Subsistences or Three divers manner of Beings of one and the same substance and Divine Essence So that a Person in the God-head is an individual understanding and incommunicable Subsistence living of it self and not sustained by another In the unity of the God-head there is a plurality which is not accidental for God is a most pure act and admits no accidents nor essential for God is one Essence only but personally The Persons in this one Essence are but three In this Mystery there is alius alius another and another But not aliud aliud another thing and another thing The Divine Essence in it self is neither divided nor distinguished But the Three Persons in the Divine Essence are distinguished among themselves Three manner of ways 1. By their Names 2. By their Order 3. By their Actions 1. By their Names thus THE first Person is named the Father first in respect of his natural Son Christ secondly in respect of the Elect his adopted sons that is those who being not his sons by Nature are made his sons by Grace The second Person is named the Son because he is begotten of his Father's substance or nature and he is called the Word First because the conception of a word in man's mind is the nearest thing that in some sort can shadow unto us the manner how he is eternally begotten of his Father's substance and in this respect he is also called the wisdom of his Father Prov. 8. 12. Secondly because that by him the Father hath from the beginning declared his will for our salvation hence he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Person speaking with or by the Father Thirdly because he is the chief argument of all the Word of God or that Word whereof God spake when he promised the blessed Seeâ— to the Fathers under the Old Testament The Third Person is named the Holy Ghost First because he is spiritual without a body secondly because he is spired and as it were breathed from both the Father and the Son that is proproceedeth from them both And he is called holy both because he is holy in his own nature and also the immediate sanctifier of all God's Elect people 2. By their Order thus THe Persons of the God-head are either the Father or those which are of the Father The Father is the first Person in the glorious Trinity having neither his being nor beginning of any other but of himself begetting his Son and together with his Son sending forth the Holy Ghost from everlasting The Persons which are of the Father are those who in respect of their personal existence have the whole Divine Essence eternally communicated unto them from the Father And those are either from the Father alone
that Almighty God is about thy bed and seeth thy down-lying and thy up-rising understandeth thy thoughts and is acquainted with all thy ways Remember likewise that his Holy Angels who guarded and watched over thee all night do also behold how thou wakest and risest Do all things therefore as in the awful presence of God and in the sight of his holy Angels 5. As thou art putting on thine apparel remember that they were first given as coverings of shame being the filthy effect of sin and that they were made but of the offails and excrements of dead Beasts Therefore whether thou respect the stuff or the first institution thou hast so little cause to be proud of them that thou hast great cause to be humbled at the sight and wearing of them seeing the richest apparel are but fine covers of the foulest shame Meditate rather That as thine apparel serves to cover thy shame and to fence thy body from cold so thou shouldest be as careful to cover thy soul with that wedding-garment which is the righteousness of Christ and because apprehended by our faith called the righteousness of the Saints Lest whilest we are richly apparalled in the sight of Men we be not found to walk naked so that all our filthiness be seen in â—he sight of God But that with his righteousness as with a Robe we may cover our selves from perpetual shame and shield our Souls from that fiery cold that will procure eternal weeping and gnashing of Teeth And withal consider how blessed a people were our Nation if every silken suit did cover a sanctified Soul And yet a Man would think that on whom God bestowed most of these outward blessings of them he shâ—uld receive greatest inward thanks But if it prove otherwise their reckoning will prove the heavier in the day of their accounts 6. Consider how God's Mercy is renewed unto thee every Morning in giving thee as it were a new life and in causing the Sun after his uncessant Race to rise again to give thee light Let not then his glorious light burn in vain but prevent rather as often as thou canst the Sun-rising to give God thanks and kneeling down at thy bed-side salute him at the day-spring with some devout Antelucanum or Morning Soliloqui containing an humble confession of thy sins the pardon of all thy faults a thanksgiving for all his benefits and a craving of his gracious protection to his Church thy self and all that do belong unto thee Brief directions how to read the Holy Scriptures once every year over with ease profit and reverence BUt for as much that as faith is the soul so reading and meditating of the Word of God are the Parents of Prayers therefore before thou prayest in the Morning first read a Chapter in the word of God then meditate a while with thy self how many excellent things thou canst remember out of it As first what good counsels or exhortations to good works and to holy life Second what threatnings of judgments against such and such a sin and what fearful examples of Gods punishment or vengeance upon such and such sinners Thirdly what blessings God promiseth to patience chastity mercy alms-deed zeal in his service charity faith and trust in God and such like Christian vertues Fourthly what gracious deliverances God hath wrought and what spâ—cial blessings he hath bestowed upon them who were his true and zealous servants Fifthly Apply these things to thine own heart and read not these Chapters as matters of Historical discourse but as if they were so many Letters or Epistles sent down from God out of Heaven unto thee for whatsoever is wâ—itten is written for our learning Rom 15. 4. Sixthly Read them therefore with that reverence as if God himself stood by and spake these words unto thee to excite thee to those virtues to dissuade thee from those vices assuring thy self that if such sins as thou readest there be found in thee without repentance the like plagues will fall upon thee but if thou doest practise the like piet and vertuous deeds the like blessiâ—gs shall come unto thee and thine In a word apply all that thou readest in H Scripture to one of these two heads chiefly either to confirm thy faith or to increase thy repentance for as Sustine Abstine bear and forbear was the Epitome of a good Philosopher's life so Crede Resipisee believe and repent is the whole sum of a true Christian's profession One Chapter thus read with understanding and meditated with application will better feed and comfort thy soul than five read and run over without marking their scope or sense or making any use thereof to thine own self If in this manner thou shalt read three Chapters every day one in the Morning and another at Noon and the third at Night reading so many Psalms instead of a Chapter as our Church Liturgy appoints for morning or evening Prayers thou shalt read over all the Canonical Scripture in a year except six Chapters which thou maist add to the task of the last day of the year The reading of the Bible in order will help thee the better to understand both the History and scope of the H. Scripture And as for the Apocrypha being but penned by Man's spirit thou maist read them at thy pleasure but believe them so far as they agree with the Canonical Scripture which is indited by the Holy Ghost But it may be thou wilt say that thy business will not permit thee so much time as to read every morning a Chapter c. O Man remember that thy life is but short and that all this business is but for the use of this short life but salvation or damnation is everlasting Rise up therefore every morning by so much time the earlier defraud thy foggy flesh of so much sleep but rob not thy soul of her food nor God of his service and serve the Almighty duly whilst thou hast time and health Having thus read thy Chapter as thou art about to pray remember that God is a God of holiness whereof he warneth us by repeating so often Be ye holy for I am holy And when he devoured with a sudden fire Nadab and Abihu for offering unto him incense with strange fire like those now-a-days who offer Prayers from hearts fraught with the fire of lust and malice the Lord would give no other reason of his judgment but this I will be sanctified in them that come near me As if he should have said If I cannot be sanctified by them who are my servants in serving me with that holiness that they should I will be sanctified on them by confounding them with my just judgments which their lewdness doth deserve God therefore cannot abide any wilful uncleanness or filthiness in them who serve him insomuch that he commanded the Israelites That when they were in
and receiving of the Sacrament to the knowledge of thy saving grace and obedience of thy blessed will for that thou hast bought and redeemed me with the blood of thine only begotten Son from the torments of Hell amd thrall of Satan for that thou hast by faith in Christ freely justified me who am by nature the Child of wrath for that thou hast in good measure sanctified me by thy holy Spirit and given me so large a time to repent together with the means of repentance I thank thee likewise good Lord for my life health wealth food raiment peace prosperity and plenty and for that thou hast preserved me this night from all perils and dangers of body and soul and hast brought me lafe to the beginning of this day And as thou hast now wakned my body from sleep so I beseech thee waken my soul from sin and carnal security and as thou hast caused the light of the day to shine in my bodily eyes so good Lord cause the light of thy Word and holy Spirit to illuminate my heart and give me grace as one of thy children of light to walk in all holy obedience before thy face this day and that I may endeavour to keep faith and a clear conscience towards thee and towards all men in all my thoughts words and dealings And so good Lord bless all my studies and actions which I shall take in hand this day as that they may tend to thy glory the good of others and the comfort of mine own Soul and Conscience in that day when I shall make my final accounts unto thee for them Oh my God keep thy servant that I do no evil unto any man this day and let it be thy blessed will not to suffer the Devil nor his wicked Angels nor any of his evil Members or any malicious enemies to have any power to do me any hurt or violence But let the eye of thy holy providence watch over me for good and not for evil and command thy holy Angels to pitch their Tents round about me for my defence and safety in me going out and coming in as thou hast promised they should do about them that fear thy Name For into thy hands O Father I do here commend my soul and body my actions and all that ever I have to be guided defended and protected by thee being assured that whatsoever thou takest into thy custody cannot perish nor suffer any hurt or harm And if I at any time this day shall through frailty forget thee yet Lord I beseech thee do thou in mercy remember me And I pray not unto thee O Father for my self alone but I beseech thee also be merciful unto thy whole Church and chosen people wheresoever they live upon the face of the earth Defend them from the Rage and Tyranny of the Devil the World and Antichrist Give thy Gospel a free and a joyful passage through the world for the conversion of those who belong to thine Election and Kingdom Bless the Churches and Kingdoms wherein we live with the continuance of Peace Justice and true Religion Defend the King's Majesty from all his Enemies and grant him a long life in health and all happiness to reign over us Bless our gracious Queen Mary Prince Charles the Lady Mary the Lady Elizabeth and her Princely Issue Increase in them all heroical gifts and spiritual graces which may make them fit for those places for which thou hast ordained them Direct all the Nobility Bishops Ministers and Magistrates of this Church and Common-wealth to govern the Commons in true religion justice obedience and tranquility Be merciful unto all the Brethren which fear thee and call upon thy name and comfort as many among them as are sick and comfortless in body or mind especially be favourable to all such as suffer any trouble or persecution for the testimony of thy truth and holy Gospel And give them a gracious deliverance out of all their troubles which way it shall seem best to thy Wisdom for the glory of thy Name the further enlarging of the truth and the more ample increase of their own Comfort and Consolation Hasten thy coming O blessed Saviour and end these sinful days And give me grace that like a wife Virgin I may be prepared with oil in my Lamp to meet thee the sweet Bridegroom of my Soul at thy coming whether it be by the day of Death or of Judgment and then Lord Jesus come when thou wilt even Lord Jesus come quickly These and all other graces which thou knowest needful and necessary for me this day and evermore I humbly beg and crave at thy hands O Father giving thee thy glory in that form of Prayer which Christ himself hath taught me to say unto thee Our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy Name c. Meditations to stir us up to Morning Prayer IF when thou art about to pray Satan shall suggest that thy Prayers are too long and that therefore it were better either to omit Prayers or else to cut them shorter meditate that Prayer is thy spiritual sacrifice wherewith God is well pleased and therefore it is so displeasing to the Devil and so irksome to thy Flesh. Bend therefore thy Affections will they nill thy to so holy an exercise assuring thy self that it doth by so much the more please God by how much the more it is unpleasing to thy flesh 2. Forget not how the Holy Ghost puts at down as a special note of reprobates they call not upon the Lord they call not upon God And when Eliphaz supposed that Job had cast off the fear of God and tha◠God had cast Job out of his favour he chargeth him that he restrained prayer 〈◊〉 God making that a sure none of the 〈◊〉 and a sufficient cause of the other On the other side that God hath promised that whosoever shall call on his name shall be saved It is certain that he who maketh no conscience of the duty of Prayer hath no grace of the holy Spirit in him For the spirit of grace and of prayer are one And therefore Grace and Prayer go together But he that can from a penitent heart morning and evening pray unto God it is sure that he hath his measure of grace in this world and he shall have his portion of glory in the life which is to come 3. Remember that as loathing of meat and painfulness of speaking are two symptoms of a sick body So irkesomness of praying when thou talkest with God and carelesness in hearing when God by his Word speaks unto thee are two sure signs of a sick Soul 4. Call to mind the zealous devotions of the Christians in the Primitive Church who spent many whole nights and vigils in watching and praying for the forgiveness of
day 5. Praying for rest and protection that night 6. Remembering the state of the Church the King and the Royal Posterity our Ministers and Magistrates and all our Brethren visited or persecuted 7. Lastly commending thy self and all thine to his gracious custody All which thou maist do in these or the like words A Prayer for the Evening O Most gracious God and loving Father who art about my bed and knowest my down-lying and mine up-rising and art near unto all that call upon thee in truth and sincerity I wretched sinner do beseech thee to look upon me with the eyes of thy mercy and not to behold me as I am in my self For then thou shalt see but an unclean and defiled creature conceived in sin and living in iniquity so that I am ashamed to lift up mine eyes to heaven knowing how grievously I have sinned against heaven and before thee For O Lord I have transgressed all thy Commandments and righteous Laws not only through negligence and infirmity but oftentimes through willful presumption contrary to my knowledge yea contrary to the motions of thy Holy spirit reclaiming me from them so that I have wounded my conscience and grieved thy Holy Spirit by whom thou hast sealed me to the day of redemption Thou hast consecrated my soul and body to be the temples of the Holy Ghost I wretched sinner have defiled both with all manner of pollution and uncleanness My eyes in taking pleasure to behold vanity mine ears in hearing impure and unchaste speeches my tongue in leasing and evil speaking my hands are so full of impurity that I am ashamed to lift them up unto thee and my feet have carried me after mine own ways my understanding and reasoning which are so quick in all earthly matters are only blind and stupid when I come to meditate or discourse of spiritual and heavenly things my memory which should be the treasury of all goodness is not so apt to remember any thing as those things which are vile and vain Yea Lord by woful experience I find that naturally all the imaginations of the thoughts of mine heart are only evil continually And these my sins are more in number than the hairs upon mine head and they have grown over me like a loathsom leprosie that from the Crown of my head to the sole of my feet there remains no part which they have not infected They make me seem vile in mine own eyes how much more abominable must I then appear in thy sight And the custom of sinning hath almost taken away the conscience of sin and pulled upon me such dullness of sense and hardness of heart that thy judgments denounced against my sins by the faithful Preachers of thy Word do not terrifie me to return unto thee by unfeigned repentance for them And if thou Lord shouldest but deal with me according to thy justice and my desert I should utterly be confounded and condemned But seeing that of thine infinite mercy thou hast spared me so long and still waitest for my repentance I humbly beseech thee for the bitter death and bloody passion sake which Jesus Christ hath suffered for me that thou wouldest pardon and forgive unto me all my sins and offences and open unto me that ever streaming fountain of the blood of Christ which thou hast promised to open under the New Testament to the penitent of the house of David that all my sins and uncleanness may be so bathed in his blood buried in his death and hid in his wounds that they may never be more seen to shame me in this life or to condemn me before thy Judgment-seat in the World which is to come And for as much O Lord as thou know'st that it is not in man to turn his own heart unless thou dost first give him grace to convert and seeing that it is as easie with thee to make me righteous and holy as to bid me to be such O my God give me grace to do what thou commandest and then command what thou wilt and thou shalt find me willing to do thy blessed will And to this end give unto me thine Holy Spirit which thou hast promised to give to the world's end unto all thine Elect people And let the same thy holy Spirit purge my heart heal my corruption sanctifie my nature and consecrate my soul and body that they may become the temples of the Holy Ghost to serve thee in righteousness and holiness all the days of my life that when by the direction and assistance of thy holy Spirit I shall finish my course in this short and transitory life I may chearfully leave this world and resign my soul into thy Fatherly hands in the assured confidence of enjoying everlasting life with thee in thine heavenly Kingdom which thou hast prepared for thine elect Saints who love the Lord Jesus and expect his appearing In the mean while O Father I beseech thee let thy holy Spirit work in me such a serious repentance as that I may with tears lament my sins past with grief of heart be humble for my sins present and with all mine endeavour resist the like filthy sins in time to come And let the same thy holy Spirit likewise keep me in the Vnity of thy Church lead me in the truth of thy Word and preserve me that I never swerve from the same to Popery nor any other errour or false worship And let thy Spirit open mine eyes more and more to see the wondrous things of thy Law and open my lips that my mouth may daily defend thy truth and set forth thy praise Increase in me those good gifts which of thy mercy thou hast already bestowed upon me and give unto me a patient spirit a chast heart a contented mind pure affections wise behaviour and all other graces which thou feest to be necessary for me to govern my heart in thy fear and to guide all my life in thy favour that whether I live or die I may live and die unto thee who art my God and my Redeemer And here O Lord according as I am bound I render unto thee from the Altar of my humblest heart all possible thanks for all those blessings and benefits which so graciously and plentuously thou hast bestowed upon my soul and body for this life and for that which is to come namely for mine Election Creation Redemption Vocation Justification Sanctification and Preservation from my child-hood until this present day and hour and for the firm hope which thou hast given me of my Glorification Likewise for my health wealth food raiment and prosperity and more especially for that thou hast defended me this day now past from all perils and dangers both of body and soul furnishing me with all necessary good things that I stand in need of And as thou hast ordained the day for
iniquities are full he will make the land to spue out every Canaanite Religion then and the Service of God in a Family is the best building and surest entailing of House and Land to a Man and his Posterity for the righteous Man shall inherit the Land and dwell therein for ever As therefore thou desirest to have the blessing of God upon thy self and upon thy family either before or after thy own private devotions call every morning all thy family to some convenient room and first either read thy self unto them a Chapter in the Word of God or cause it to be read distinctly by some other If leisure serve thou maist admonish them of some remarkable notes and then kneeling down with them in reverent sort as is before described pray with them in this manner Morning Prayer for a Family O Lord our God and heavenly Father who art the only Creator and Governour of heaven and earth and all things therein contained we confess that we are unworthy to appear in thy sight and presence considering our manifold sins which we have committed against heaven and before thee and how that we have been born in sin and do daily break thy holy Laws and Commandments contrary to our knowledge and consciences albeit that we know that thou art our Creator who hast made us our Redeemer who hast bought us with the blood of thine only begotten Son and our Comforter who bestowest upon us all the good and holy graces which we enjoy in our souls and bodies And if thou should'st but deal with us as our wickedness and unthankfulness have deserved what other thing might we O Lord expect from thee but shame and confusion in this life and in the World to come wrath and everlasting condemnation Yet O Lord in the obedience of thy Commandment and in the confidence which we have in thy unspeakable and endless mercy in thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ we thy poor servants appealing from thy Throne of Justice where we are justly lost and condemned to thy Throne of grace where mercy reigneth to pardon abounding sin do from the bottom of our hearts most humbly beseech thee to remit and forgive unto us all our offences and misdeeds that by the virtue of the precious blood of Jesus Christ thine innocent Lamb which he so abundantly shed to take away the sins of the world all our sins both original and actual may be so cleansed and washed from us as that they may never be laid to our charge nor ever have power to rise up in judgment against us And we beseech thee good Fatherâ— for Christ his death and passions sake thaâ— thou wilt not suffer to fall upon us thaâ— fearful curse and vengeance which thy laâ—â— hath threatned and our sins have justly deserved And for as much O Lord as we arâ— taught by thy word that Idolaters Adulterrers covetous Men contentious Persons Drunkards Gluttons and such like inordinate livers shall not inherit the kingdom of God pour the grace of thy Holy Spirit into our hearts whereby we may be enlightned to see the filthiness of our sins to abhor them and may be more and more stirred up to live in newness of life and love of thy Majesty so that we may daily increase in the obedience of thy Word and in a conscionable care of keeping thy Commandments And now O Lord we render unto thee most hearty thanks for that thou hast elected created redeemed called justified and sanctified us in good measure in this life and given us an assured hope that thou wilt glorifie us in thy heavenly kingdom when this mortal life is ended Likewise we thank thee for our life health wealth liberty prosperity and peace especially O Lord for the continuance of thy holy Gospel among us and for sparing us so long and granting us so gracious a time of repentance Also we praise thee for all other thy mercies bestowed upon us more especially for preserving us this night past from all dangers that might have befaln our souls or bodies And seeing thou hast now brought us safe to the beginning of this day we beseech thee protect and direct us in the same Bless and defend us in our going out and coming in this day and evermore Shield us O Lord from the temptations of the Devil and grant us the custody of thy holy Angels to defend and direct us in all our ways And to this end we recommend our selves and all those that belong unto us and are abroad from us into thy hands and Almighty tuition Lord defend them from all evil prosper them in all graces and fill them with thy goodness Preserve us likewise this day from falling into any gross sin especially those whereunto our Natures are most prone Set a watch before the door of our lips that we offend not thy Majesty by any rash or false Oaths or by any lewd or lying Speeches give unto us patient Minds pure and chaste Hearts and all other graces of thy Spirit which thou knowest to be needful for us that we may the better be enabled to serve thee in holiness and righteousness And seeing that all Man's labour without thy blessing is in vain bless every one of us in our several places and callings direct thou the work of our hands upon us even prosper thou our handy-work for except thou guide us with thy grace our endeavours can have no good success And provide for us all things which thou O Father knowest to be needful for every one of us in our Souls and Bodies this day And grant that we may so pass through the pilgrimage of this short life that our hearts being not setled upon any transitory things which we meet with in the way our Souls may every day be more and more ravished with the love of our home and thine everlasting Kingdom Defend likewise O Lord thy universal Church and every particular Member thereof especially we beseech thee to continue the peace and prosperity of these Churches and Kingdoms wherein we live Preserve and defend from all evils and dangers our gracious King Charles Queen Mary the noble and hopeful Prince Charles with the rest of the Royal Progeny the Lady Elizabeth the King 's only Sister and her Princely Issue Multiply their days in bliss and felicity and afterwards crown them with everlasting Joy and Glory Bless all our Ministers and Magistrates with all graces needful for their places and govern thou them that they may govern us in peace and godliness and of thy mercy O Lord comfort all our brethren that are distressed sick or any way comfortless especially those who are afflicted either with an evil conscience because they have sinned against thy Word or for a good conscience because they will not sin against thy truth Make the first to know that not one drop of the blood of Christ was a drop of vengeance but all drops of grace powerful to procure pardon upon repentance for
invention a greater measure of solemnity and sanctification than upon the Lord's day which is God's Commandment which in effect is to preferr Antichrist before Christ. Our Church hath justly abolished all superstitious and idolatrous Feasts and only retains a few Holy-days to the Honour of God alone and easing of Servants Deut. 5. 14. tho' long custom forceth to use the old Names for civil distinction as Luke used the prophane Names of Castor and Pollux Acts 28. 11. and Christians of Fortunatus 1 Cor. 16. 17. Mercurius Rom. 16. 14. and Jews of Mardochaeus's day 2 Maccab. 15. 37. 10. Lastly The Examples of God's Judgments on Sabbath-breakers may sufficiently seal unto them whose Hearts are not seared how wrathfully Almighty God is displeased with them who are wilful prophaners of the Lord's day The Lord who is otherwise the God of mercy commanded Moses to stone to death the man who of a presumptuous mind would openly go to gather sticks on the Sabbath day The fact was small true but his sin was the greater that for so small an occasion would presume to break so great a Commandment Nicanor offering to fight against the Jews on the Sabbath day was slain himself and thirty five thousand of his men A Husbandman grinding Corn upon the Lord's-day had his Mill burned to ashes Another carrying Corn on this day had his Barn and all his Corn therein burnt with fire from Heaven the next night after Also a certain Noble man prophaning the Sabbath usually in hunting had a Child by his Wife with a head like a Dog and with Ears and Chaps crying like a Hound A covetous Flax-wife at Kinstat in France Anno 1559 using with her maids to work at her Trade on the Lord's-day it seemed unto them that fire issued out of the Flax but did no harm the next Sabbath it took fire indeed but was quickly quenched but not taking warning by this the third Sunday after it took fire again burnt the House and so scorched the wretched Woman with two of her Children that they died the next day but through God's mercy a Child in the Cradle was taken out of the fire alive and unhurt On the 13th of January An. Dom. 1582 being the lord's-Lord's-day the Scaffolds sell in Paris Garden under the People at a Bear-baiting so that eight were suddenly slain innumerable hurt and maimed A warning to such who take more pleasure on the lord's-Lord's-day to be in a Theatre beholding carnal sports than to be in the Church serving God with the spiritual works of Piety Many fearful examples of God's Judgments by fire have in our days been shewed upon divers Towns where the prophanation of the Lord's day hath been openly countenanced Stratford upon Avon was twice on the same day twelve-month being the Lord's-day almost consumed with fire chiefly for prophaning the Lord's-Sabbaths and for contemning his Word in the mouth of his faithful Ministers Teverton in Devonshire whose remembrance makes my heart bleed was oftentimes admonished by her godly Preacher that God would bring some heavy Judgment on the Town for their horrible prophanation of the lord's-Lord's-day occasioned chiefly by their Market on the day following Not long after his death on the third of April Anno Dom. 1598 God in less than half an hour consumed with a sudden and fearful fire the whole Town except only the Church the Court-house and the Alms-houses or a few poor Peoples dwellings where a man might have seen 400 dwelling-houses all at once on fire and above fifty Persons consumed with the flame And now again since the former Edition of this Book on the fifth of August last 1612 fourteen years since the former fire the whole Towâ— was again fired and consumed except some thirty houses of poor people with the School-house and Alms-houses they are blind who see not in this the finger of God God grant them grace when it is next built to change their Market-day and to remove all occasions of prophaning the Lord's-day Let other Towns remember the Tower of Siloe Luke 13. 4. and take warning by their neighbours chastisements fear God's threatning Jer. â—7 27. and believe God's Prophets if they will prosper 1 Chron. 20. 20. Many other examples of God's judgments might be alledged but if these are not sufficient to terrifie thy heart from the wilful prophanation of the Lord's-day proceed in thy prophanation it may be the Lord will make thee the next example to teach others to keep his Sabbaths â—etter He punisheth some in this life to signifie how he will plague all wilful transgressors of his Sabbaths at the last day Thus we have proved that the Commandment of the Sabbath is Moral and that the change of it from the seventh to the first day of the week was instituted by the authority of Christ and of his Apostles But as in promulgating of the Law divers Ceremonies peculiar to the Jews were annexed the rather to bind that people to the more careful performance thereof as to the first Commandment their deliverance from Egypt shadowing their redemption from hell to the fifth Commandment length of days in Canaan typifying eternal life in heaven to the sixth Commandment abstinence from blood and things strangled figuring the care to abstain from all kind of Murther and to the whole Law the Ceremony of Parchment lace putting them in mind to keep within the limits of the Law so likewise to the fourth Commandment were added some ceremonies which peculiarly belonged to the Jews and to no other people as first the double Sacrifices appointed for them on the Sabbath day shadowing how God will be served on the Sabbath with greater obedience than on the week days 2 The rigid and strict ceasing from making of fire dressing of meat and all bodily labour both remembring them of their full deliverance by Moses's conduct from the fiery Furnaces and slavery of Egypt upon that day as also shadowing unto them the eternal redemption of their souls from Hell by the death of Christ. 3. The keeping of the Sabbath upon the precise seventh day in order of the creation shadowing to the Jews that Christ by his death and resting on their Sabbath in the grave should bring them rest and ease from the burthen and yoke of the Legal Ceremonies which neither they nor their Fathers were able to bear Act. 15. 10. Col. 2. 16 17. And howsoever in Paradise before Man's Fall the keeping of the Sabbath on the seventh day of the Creation was not a Ceremony but an Argument of perfection yet after the Fall it became Ceremonial and subject to change in respect of the Restauration by Christ. As man's life before the fall being immortal became afterwards mortal and nakedness being an ornament before became afterwards a shame and Marriage became a type of the Mystical Vnion betwixt Christ and his Church Ephes. 5. and to fulfill the Ceremonies added for the Jews sake
Practice of Piety both in private and publick Now followeth the extraordinary practice of Piety whereby God is glorified in our lives THe extraordinary Practice of Piety consists either in fasting or feasting 1. Of the Practice of Piety in Fasting There are divers kinds of fasting First a constrained Fast as when men either have not food to ear as in the Famine of Samaria or having food cannot eat it for heaviness or sickness as it befel them who where in the Ship with St. Paul This is rather Famine than Fasting Secondly A natural Fast which we underâ—ake Physically for the health of our body Thirdly A civil Fast which the Magistrate enjoyneth for the better mainâ—â—nance of the Common-wealth that by 〈◊〉 Fish as well as Flâ—sh there may be greater plenty of both Fourthly A miraculous Fast as the forty days fast of Moses and Elias the Types and of Christ the substance This is rather to be admired than imitated Fifthly A daily Fast when a man is careful to use the Creatures of God witâ— such moderation that he is nâ—t mâ—de heavier but more chearful to serve God and to do the duties of his calling This is especially to be observed of ministers and Judges Sixthly A religious Fast which a man voluntarily undertakes to make his body and soul the fitter to pray more fervently unto God upon some extraordinary occasion And of this Fast only we are to treat The Religious Fast is of Two sorts either private or publick 1. Of a Private Fast. THat we may rightly perform a private Fast Four things are to be observed First the Author Secondly the Time and Occasion Thirdly the Manner Fourthly the Ends of private Fasting 1. Of the Author The first that ordained Fasting was God himself in Paradise and it was the first Law that God made in commanding Adam to abstain from eating the forbidden fruit God would not pronounce nor write his Law without fasting and in his Law commands all his people to fast So doth our Saviour Christ teach all his Disciples under the New Testament likewise By religious fasting a man comes nearest the life of Angels and to do God's will on Earth as it is done in Heaven Yea Nature seemeth to teach man this duty in giving him a liâ—tle mouth and a nâ—rrower throat for Nature is content with a little Grace with less Neither doth Nature and Grace agree in any one act better than in this Excercise of Religious Fasting for it strengtheneth the memory and cleareth the mind illuminateth the understanding and bridleth the Affections mortifieth the flesh and preserveth Chastity preventeth sickness and continueth health it delivereth from evils and procureth all kind of blessings By breaking this Fast the Serpent overthrew the first Adam so that he lost Paradise But by keeping a Fast the second Adam vanquished the Serpent and restored us into Heaven Fasting was she who covered Noah safe in the Ark whom Intemperance uncovered and left stark naked in the Vineyard By fasting Lot quenched the flame of Sodom whom Drunkenness scorched with the fire of Incest Religious Fasting and talking with God made Moses's Face to shine before Men when Idolatrous eating and drinking caâ—sed the Israelites to appear abominable in the sight of God It rapt Elias in an Angelical Coach to Heaven when voluptuous Ahab was sent in a Bloody Chariot to Hell It made Herod believe that John Baptist should live after death by a blessed Resâ—rrection when after an intemperate life he could promise nothing to himself but eternal death and destruction O divine Ordinance of a divine Author 2. Of the Time The holy Scripture appoints no Time under the New Testament to fast but but leaves it unto Christians own free choice Rom. 14. 3. 1 Cor. 7. 5. to fast as occasion shall be offered unto them Mat. 9. 15. As when a man becomes an humble and earnest suiter unto God for the pardon of some gross sin committed or for the prevention of some sin whereunto a man feels himself by Satan sollicited or to obtain some special blessing which he wants or to avert some Judgment which a man fears or is already faln upon himself or others Or lastly to subdue his flesh unto his spirit that he may more chearfully pour forth his soul unto God by prayer Upon these occasions a man may fast a day or longer as his occasion requiees and the constitution of his body and other needful affairs will permit 3. Of the manner of a private Fast. The true manner of performing a private fast consists partly in outward partly in inward actions The outward actions are to abstain for the time that we fast First from all worldly business and labour making our fasting day as it were a Sabbath day Lev. 23. 28. for worldly business will distract our minds from holy devotion Secondly from all manner of food yea from bread and water so far as health will permit 1. That so we may acknowledge our own indignity as being unworthy both of life and all the means for the maintenance thereof 2. That by afflicting the Body the Soul which folâ—loweth the constitution thereâ—f may be the more humbled 3. That so we may take a godly revenge upon our selves for abusing our liberty in the use of God's Creatures 4. That by the hunger of our Bodies through want of these earthly things our Souls may learn to hunger more eagerly after spiritual and heavenly food 5. To put us in mind that as we abstain from food which is lawful so we should much more abstain from Sin which is altogether unlawful Thirdly From good and costly apparel that as the abuse of these puffs us up with pride so the laying aside their lawful use may witness our humility And to this end in ancient times they used especially in publick Fasts to put on Sackcloth or other course Apparel The Equity hereof still remaineth especially in publick Fasts at what time to come into the Assembly with starched Bands crisped Hair brave Apparel and decked with Flowers or Perfumes argueth a Soul that is neither humble before God nor ever knew the true use of so holy an exercise Fourthly From the full measure of ordinary sleep That thou maist that way also humble thy Body and that thy Soul may watch and pray to be prepared for the coming of Christ. And if thou wilt break thy sleep early and late for worldly gain how much more should'st thou do it for the service of God And if Ahab in imitation of the godly did in his fast lie in such-cloth to break his sleep by night what shall we think of those who on a fasting-fasting-day will yield themselves to sleep in the open Church Fifthly and lastly From all outward pleasures of our senses So that as it was not the throat only that sinned so must
believe life everlasting but also Edo vitam eternam I eat life everlasting And indeed this is the true Tree of life which God hath planted in the midst of the Paradise of the Church And whereof he hath promised to give every one that overcometh to eat And this Tree of life by infinite degrees excelleth the Tree of life that grew in the Paradise of Eden for that had his root in the Earth this from Heaven that gave buâ— life to the Body this to the Soul that did but preserve the life of the living this restoreth life to the dead The leaves of this tree heal the nations of believers and it yields every month a new manner of fruit which nourisheth them to life everlasting Oh blessed are they who often eat of this Sacrament at least once every month taste anew of this renewing fruit which Christ hath prepared for us at his Table to heal our infirmities and to confirm our belief of life everlasting Of the seventh end of the Lord's-Supper 7. To bind all Christians as it were by an oath of fidelity to serve the one only true God and to admit no other propitiatony sacrifice for sins but that one real sacrifice which by his death Christ once offered and by which he finishâ—d the sacrifices of the Law and effected eternal Redemption and Righteousness for all believers And so to remain for ever a publick mark of profession to distinguish Christians from all Sects and false Religions And seeing that in the Mâ—ss there is a strange Christ adored not he that was born of the Virgin Mary but one that is made of a Wafer Cake and that the offering up of this breaden god is thrust upon the Church as a Propitiatory Sâ—crifice for the quick and the dead all true Christians upon the danger of wilful perjury before the Lord Chief Justice of heaven and earth are to detest the Mass as the Idol of Indignation which is most derogatory to the all-sufficient world-saving merits of Christ's Death and Passion For by receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper we all swear that all real Sacrifices are ended by our Lord's death and that his body and blood once crucified and shed is the perpetual food and nourishment of our Souls 2. How to consider thine own unworthiness A Man shall best perceive his own unworthiness by examining his life according to the Ten Commandments of Almighty God Search therefore what duties thou hast omitted and what vices thou hast committed contrary to every one of the Commandments remembring that without repentance and God's mercy in Christ the Curse of God containing all the miseries of this life and everlasting torments in hell fire when this is ended is due to the breach of the least of God's Commandments And having taken a due survey both of thy sins and miseries retire to some secret place and there putting thy self in the sight of the Judge as a guilty malefactor standing at the Bar to receive his Sentence bowing thy knees to the earth smiting thy breast with thy fists and â—edewing thy cheeks with thy tears confess thy sins and humbly ask him mercy and forgiveness in these or the like words An humble confession of sins to be made unto God before the receiving of the holy Communion O God and heavenly Father when I consider the goodness which thou hast ever shewed unto me and the wickedness which I have committed against heaven and against thee I am ashamed of my self and confusion seems to cover my face as a veil for which of thy Commandments have I not transgressed O Lord I stand here guilty of the breach of all thy holy Laws For the love of my heart hath not so intirely cleaved unto thy * Majesty as to vain and earthly things I have not feared thy judgments to deterr me from sins nor trusted to thy promises to keep me from doubting of my temporal or from despairing of mine eternal state I have made the rule of thy divine worship to be what my mind thought fit not what thy Word prescribed finding my heart more prone to remember my blessed Saviour in a painted Picture of Man's device rather than to be behold him crucified in his Word and Sacraments after his own ordinance Where I should never use thy Name whereat all knees do bow but with religious reverence nor any part of thy worship without due preparation and zeal I have blasphemously abused thy holy Name to rash and customary oaths yea I have used oaths by thy sacred name as false covers of my filthy sins And I have been present at thy Service oft-times more for ceremony than conscience and to please Men more than to please thee my gracious God Where I should sanctifie thy sabbath-Sabbath-day by being present at the publick exercises of the Church and by meditating privately on the word and works of God and by visiting the sick and relieving of my poor brethren alas I have thought those holy Exercises a burden because they hindred my vain sports yea I have spent many of thy Sabbaths in my own prophane Pleasures without being present at any part of thy divine worship Where I should have given all due reverence to my Natural Ecclesiastical and Politick Parents I have not shewed that measure of duty and affection to my Parents which their care and kindness hath deserved I have not had thy Ministers in such singular love for their works sake as I ought but I have taunted at their zeal and hated them because they reproved me justly And I have carried my self contemptuously against thy Mâ—gistrates and Ministers though I knew that it is 〈◊〉 ordinance that I should be obedient unto them Where I should be slâ—w to wrath and ready to forgive offences and not 〈◊〉 the Sun to go down upon my wrath but to 〈◊〉 good for evil loving my very enemies for thy sake I alas for one sorry word have burst out into open rage and harbouring thoughts of mischief in my heart I have preferred to feed on mine own malice rather than to eat of thy holy Supper Where I should keep my Mind from all filthy lusts and my Body from all uncleanness O Lord I have defiled both and made my Heart a Cage of all impure thoughts and my Mind a very stâ—e of the unclean Spirit Yea the remedy which thou Lord hast ordained for incontinency could not contain me within the bounds of Chastity for by doting on beauty whose grounds is but dust Satan hath bewitched my flesh to lust after strange flesh Where I should have lived in uprightness givâ—ng every Man his due being contented with mine own Estate and living consâ—ionably in my lawful Calling should be ready according to mine Ability to lend and give unto the Poor O Lord I have by oppression extortion bribes cavillation and other indirect dealings under
I am fully O Lord assured that all the 〈◊〉 fare wherewith the disdainfull Phaâ—isee entertained thee at his Table did not so much please thee as those tears which penitent Mary poured under the â—â—ble I would therefore wish with Jeremy that my head were a fountain of tears that seeing I can by no means yield sufficient thanks for thy love to me yet I might by continual Tears testifie my love unto thee And though no man is worthy of so infinite a grace yet this is my comfort That he is worthy whom thou in favour accountest worthy And seeing that now of thy mere grace thou hast counted me among others thy chosen worthy of this unspeakable favour and sealed by thy Sacrament the assurance of thy love and the forgiveness of my sins O Lord confirm thy favour unto thy Servant and say of me as Isaac did of Jacob I have blessed him therefore he shall be blessed And that I may say unto thee with David Thou O Lord hast blessed my Soul and made it thy house and it shall be blessed for ever And seeing it pleased thee to bless the house of Obed-edom and all his houshold whilest the Ark of the Lord remained in his house I doubt not but thou wilt much more bless my soul and body and all that do belong unto me now that it hath pleased thy Majesty of thine own good will to enter under my roof and to dwell for ever in my poor cottage Bless me O Lord so that my sins may wholly be remitted by thy Blood my conscience sanctified by thy Spirit my mind enlightned by thy Truth my Heart guided by thy Spirit and my Will in all things subdued to thy blessed Will and Pleasure Bless me with all graces which I want and increase in me those good gifts which thou hast already bestowed upon me And seeing that I hold thee not by the arms as Jacob wrestling without me but inwardly dwelling by Faith within me surely Lord I will never let thee go except thou bless me and give me a new name a new heart a new spirit and strength by the power of God to prevail over sin and Satan And I beseech thee O Lord desire not to depart from me as thou didst from Jacob because the day breaketh and thy grace beginneth to dawn and appear But I from my soul humbly with the Emmauites intreat thee O sweet Jesus to abide with me because it draweth towards night For the night of temptation the night of tribulation yea my last long night of death approacheth O blessed Saviour stay with me therefore now and ever And if thy presence go not home with me carry me not from hence Go with me and live with me and let neither death nor life separate me from thee Drive me from my self draw me unto thee Let me be sick but sound in thee and in my weakness let thy strength appear Let me seem as dead that thou alone mayest be seen to live in me so that all my members may be but instruments to act thy motions Set me as a seal upon thine heart and let thy zeal be setled upon mine that I may be out of love with all that I may be only in love with thee And grant O Lord that as thou now vouchsafest me this favour to sit at thy Table to receive this Sacrament in thy house of grace so I may hereafter through thy mercy be received to â— eat and drink at thy Table in thy kingdom of Glory And for thy mercy I do here with the four beasts and twenty four Elders cast my self down before thy Throne of Grace acknowledging that it is thou that hast redeemed with thy blood and that salvation cometh only from thee And therefore unto thee I do yield all praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and might and Majesty O my Lord and my God for evermore Amen Thirdly Seeing Christ hath sacrificed himself for thee and all that thou canst give is too little therefore thou must offer thy self to be a living holy and acceptable sacrifice unto God by serving him in righteousness and holiness all thy days Thus Iertullian witnesseth that in his time a Christian was known from another man only by the holiness and uprightness of his life 2. Of the duties which we are to do after the Communion joyntly with the Congregation THE duties to be performed joyntly with the Church are Three First publick thanksgiving both by Prayers and singing of Psalms Thus Christ himself and his Apostles did Secondly joining with the Church in giving every man according to his ability towards the relief of the poor This was the manner of the Primitive Churches to make Collections and Love Feasts after the Lord's Supper for the relief of the poor Christians Thirdly when thanks and praise is ended then with all reverence to stand up and to receive the blessing of God by the mouth of his Minister and to receive it as if thou didst hear God himself pronouncing it unto thee from Heaven For by their blessing God doth bless his people Thus far of the Duties to be practised in the Church The Duties which thou art to practise after that thou art departed home are three First to observe diligently whether thou hast truly received Christ in the Sacrament Which thou maist thus easily perceive for seeing his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed and that he is so full of grace that no man ever touched him by faith but he received virtue from him it cannot possibly be that if thou hast eaten his flesh or drunk his blood but thou shalt receive grace and power to be cleansed from thy sins and filthiness For if the Hemorrhoise that did but touch his garment had her bloody issue that continued so long forthwith stanched how much more will the bloody issue of thy sin be stanched if thou then hast truly eaten and drunk the very flesh and blood of Christ But if thy issue still runneth thou maist justly suspect thou hast never yet truly touched Christ Secondly seeing thou hast now reconciled thy self to God and renewed thy Covenant and vowed newness and amendment of life thou must therefore have a special care that thou dost not yield to commit thy former sins any more knowing that the unclean spirit if ever he can get into thy Soul again after that it is swept and garnished he will enter forcible possession with seven other devils worse than himself So that the end of that man shall be worse than his beginning Be ye not therefore like the Dog that returns to his vomit or the washed Sow that walloweth in the mire again And return not to thy malice like to the Adder who laying aside her poyson while she drinks takes it up again when she hath done But when either the devil or thy flesh shall offer to
cleansâ—th him from all his sins and either asswage his pain or else increase his patience to endure thy blessed will and pleasure And good Lord lay no more upon him than thou shalt enable him to bear Heave him up unto thy self with those sighs aâ—d groans which cannot be expressed Make him now to feel what is the hope of his Calling and what is the exceeding greatness of thy Mercy and Power towards them that believe in thee And in his weakness O Lord shew thou thy strength Defend him against the suggestions and temptations of Satan who as he hath all his life time will now in his weakness especially seek to assail him and to devour him O save his Soul and reprove Satan and command thy holy Angels to be about him to aid him and to chase away all evil and malignant Spirits far from him Make him more and more to loath this world and to desire to be loosed and to be with Christ. And when that good hour and time shall come wherein thou hast determined to call for him out of this present life give him grace peacefully and joyfully to yield up his soul into thy merciful hands and do thou receive her into thy mercy and let thy blessed Angels carry her into thy kingdom Make his last hour his best hour his last words his best words and his last thoughts his best thoughts And when the sight of his eyes is gone and his tongue shall fail to do its office grant O Lord that his Soul may with Stephen behold Jesus Christ in Heaven ready to receive him and that thy Spirit within him may make request for him with sighs which cannot be expressed Teach us in him to read and see our own end and mortality and therefore to be careful to prepare our selves for our last ends and put our selves in a readiness against the time that thou shalt call for us in the like manner Thus Lord we recommend this our dear Brother or Sister thy sick servant unto thy eternal Grace and Mercy in that Prayer which Christ our Saviour hath taught us saying Our Father which art in heaven c. Thy grace O Lord Jesus Christ thy love O heavenly Father thy comfort and consolation O holy Spirit be with us all and especially with this thy sick servant to the end and in the end Amen Let them read often unto the sick some special Chapters of the holy Scripture as The three first Chapters of the Book of Job The 14. and 19. Chapters of Job The 34. Chapter of Deuteronomy The two last Chapters of Joshua The 17. Chapter of the first of Kings The 2 4 and 12. Chapters of the Second of Kings The 38 40 and 65. Chapters of Isaiah The History of the Passion of Christ. The 8. Chapter of the Romans The 15. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians The fourth of the first Epistle to the Thessalonians The fifth Chapter of the second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians The first and last Chapters of St. James The 11 and 12 to the Hebrews The first Epistle of Peter The three first and the three last Chapters of the Revelations or some of these And so exhorting the sick party to wait upon God by faith and patience till he send for him and praying the Lord to send them a joyful meeting in the Kingdom of Heaven and a blessed Resurrection at the last day they may depart at their pleasure in the Peace of God Consolations against impatience in sickness IF in thy sickness by extremity of pain thou be driven to impatience meditate 1. That thy sins have deserved the pains of hell therefore thou maist with greater patience endure these fatherly Corrections 2. That these are the scourges of thy heavenly Father and the rod is in his hand If thou didst suffer with reverence being a child the correction of thy earthly Parents how much rather should'st thou now subject thy self being the Child of God to â—he chastisâ—ment of thy heavenly Father seeing it is for thine eternal good 3. That Christ suffered in his soul and body far grievo ser pains for thee therefore thou must more willingly suffer his blessed pleasure for thine own good Therefore saith Peter Christ suffered for you leaving you an example that ye should follow hiâ— steps And Let us saith S. Pauâ— run with joy the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross c. 4. That these afflictions which now you suffer are none other but such as are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world as witnesseth Peter Yea Job's afflictions were far more grievous There is not one of the Saints which now are at rest in heavenly joys but endured as much as you do before they went thither yea â—â—ny of them willingly suffered all the torments that Tyrants could inflict upon them that they might come to those heavenly 〈◊〉 whereunto you are now called And you have a promise that the God of aâ—l grace after that you have suffered a while will make you perfect stablish strengthen and settle you And that God of his fidelity will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it 5. That God hath determined the time when thy affliction shall end as well as the time when it began 38 years were appointed the sick man at Beâ—hesda's Pool Twelve Years to the Woman with the bloody Issueâ— Three months to Moses Ten days tribulation to the Angel of the Church of Smyrna Three days plague to David Yea the number of the godly man's tears are registred in God's book and the quantity kept in his bottle The time of our trouble saith Christ is but a Modicum God's Anger lasts but a moment saith David A little season saith the Lord and therefore calls all the time of our pain but the hour of sorrow Daâ—id for the swiftness thereof compares our present trouble to a Book and Aâ—â—anasius to a Shower Compare the longest misery that Man endures in this 〈◊〉 to the eternity of heavenly joys and they will appear to be nothing And as the sight of a Son safe born makes the Mâ—ther forget all her former deadly pain so the sight of Christ in Heaven who was born for thee will make all these pangs of death to be quite forgotten as if they had never been like Stephen who as soon as he saw Christ forgat his own wounds with the horror of the grave and terror of the stones and sweetly yielded his soul into the hands of his Saviour Forget thine own pain think of Christ's wounds Be faithful unto the death and he will give thee the Crown of eternal life 6. That you are